Candidates’ support signals tribal rights may be a top issue for Maine’s next governor

Maine Morning Star’s outreach to all candidates about this issue shows support is even more widespread than that.

State Sen. Rick Bennett, a former Republican who left the party when launching his independent bid for governor, told Maine Morning Star that he plans to propose sweeping sovereignty legislation if elected, which is in line with his support of such proposals as a senator. 

“These four are uniquely discriminated against,” Bennett said of the Wabanaki Nations, “largely because the state refuses to take action.”

The last attempt to overhaul the Settlement Act, LD 1626 in 2022, would have allowed the Tribes to self-govern within their respective territories in accordance with the same federal laws that generally govern tribal lands elsewhere in the U.S. by enacting most of the recommendations of the task force convened in 2019 to review the Settlement Act. 

After initially passing the Legislature, the bill died on what’s known as the “appropriations table” allegedly because of its cost. But, really, Bennett said, “The reason that happened was the governor said that she didn’t want to see it on her desk.”