AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage won a narrow victory in his opposition to a national monument in Maine’s North Woods region through a vote in the state Senate.
The Republican governor wants to prevent President Barack Obama from designating the area as a national monument. Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports that the Senate passed the bill on an 18-17 vote Wednesday.
The House also passed the bill by a narrow margin last week. But several experts say presidential authority cannot be constrained by state law, which makes the vote largely symbolic.
Sen. Andre Cushing, a Republican from Newport, says the state is taking a stand against turning the forests over to the federal government. But Sen. Roger Katz, an Augusta Republican, fears the bill is unconstitutional.
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