It is time to free the Land for Maine’s Future bonds being held hostage by Gov. Paul LePage.

L.D. 1378 pending in the Legislature will do just that.

We need to encourage our state representatives and senators to carry out the wishes of those of us whom they represent. Some legislators, including mine, Rep. Gary Hilliard, R-Belgrade, have already voted to support this important good governance measure.

We approved the bonds in the first place (60 percent voter approval) and now we support the passage of L.D. 1378 ,which will help to shift power from the governor to the people as the constitution directs.

When Maine voters have spoken at the ballot box, no one — including a governor — should have the right to veto their decision by using voter-ratified bonds as political leverage. In 195 years, no chief executive has ever before attempted to interfere with the will of the people in this way.

Let’s help the governor do the right thing. Issuing the bonds will allow more than 30 projects that are in jeopardy without the LMF funding they were awarded by the LMF board of directors in July to go ahead. The administration made specific commitments to these projects and dozens of private landowners, who have conducted due diligence, spent money and negotiated in good faith.

So let’s get our legislative representatives to do what we already asked for and ensure that the LMF bonds are issued now. I hope Hilliard’s Republican and Democratic colleagues will unite to override the governor’s veto of L.D. 1378.

Peter Roderick

Rome