Maine is like other states in that it provides its governor with the right to veto legislation that she or he doesn't like. The Maine Constitution gives the governor ten days (excluding Sundays) within which to act on a bill that has been enacted by the Legislature: sign it into law or veto it.
If no action is taken by the governor, the bill becomes law unless the Legislature has adjourned for the session. This last part - that the governor has not taken an action on a bill but the Legislature has returned is known as a pocket veto.
Maine's Gov. Paul LePage is well known now for his abrasive nature and for the petulant battles he picks with any he considers enemies. This at times includes the entire Maine Legislature; last month LePage used his line-item veto 64 times on the State budget bill simply to "waste their time." All 64 line-item vetoes were overridden in record time fashion.
Last night it was learned that LePage had not returned 19 bills enacted two weeks ago to the Revisor's Office (the folks that put bills into legal jargon). When asked for an explanation, Adrienne Bennett, communications director for LePage, said the pocket veto had been used. “I’m surprised the Legislature does not understand this," she said.
The problem is that the Maine Legislature has not adjourned for the session.
As the Legislative Record for 30 June 2015 shows, the House "adjourned" until it is recalled by the Senate President and Speaker of the House. The language is important, but as the Maine Legislature Glossary of Terms states, "adjourn" means "The end of the legislative day."
When the Legislature adjourns for the session, the term it uses is "without day," as defined as adjourn sine die. See this Legislative Record from 18 April 2014, when the Legislature adjourned sine die. Note the pomp and circumstance involved, with a special committee sent to call on Gov. LePage to inform him that "the House was ready to adjourn without day."
It's an interesting list of bills that Gov. LePage thought he was vetoing, but instead are now law. One would provide General Assistance funding to asylum seekers, people legally in our country but that are unable to work per federal laws. LePage vehemently opposes this bill despite that it was sponsored by Republican Sen. Amy Volk. Ironically, had LePage simply vetoed it, it likely would have been sustained.
LD 25 "An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Uses" Sponsored by Representative Diane Russell
LD 78 "An Act Regarding Limitations on Certain Storm Water Fees" Sponsored by Senator Nathan Libby
LD 113 "An Act To Reduce the Penalties for Certain Drug Offenses" Sponsored by Senator Roger Katz
LD 234 "An Act To Adjust Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015" (Emergency) (Governor's Bill) Sponsored by Representative Margaret Rotundo
LD 299 "An Act To Protect Children in Municipal and School Facilities by Requiring Boiler Inspections" Sponsored by Senator Dawn Hill
LD 369 "An Act To Align Municipal General Assistance Programs with the Immigration Status Policies of the Department of Health and Human Services" Sponsored by Senator Eric Brakey
LD 522 "An Act To Clarify a Recently Enacted Law Designed To Expand the Number of Qualified Educators" Sponsored by Senator David Burns
LD 722 "An Act To Strengthen Penalties for Abuse of General Assistance" Sponsored by Senator Eric Brakey
LD 756 "An Act To Enhance the Address Confidentiality Program Regarding Property Records" Sponsored by Representative Michelle Dunphy
LD 822 "An Act To Allow a Former Spouse of a Member of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System To Begin Collecting Benefits When the Former Spouse Reaches the Member's Retirement Age" Sponsored by Representative Patrick Corey
LD 870 "An Act To Amend the Maine Spruce Budworm Management Laws" Sponsored by Senator James Dill
LD 1013 "An Act To Prevent the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners" Sponsored by Senator Anne Haskell
LD 1039 "An Act To Amend the Polygraph Examiners Act" Sponsored by Senator Anne Haskell
LD 1085 "An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Receipt of a Request for Public Records"
LD 1108 "An Act To Protect Children and the Public from Electronic Cigarette Vapor" Sponsored by Representative Jeff McCabe
LD 1134 "An Act To Require the Department of Health and Human Services To Distribute Information Regarding Down Syndrome to Providers of Prenatal and Postnatal Care and to Genetic Counselors" Sponsored by Senator Amy Volk
LD 1185 "An Act To Establish the Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund" Sponsored by Representative Norman Higgins
LD 1303 "An Act To Stabilize and Streamline the Department of Environmental Protection's Ground Water Oil Clean-up Fund and Maine Coastal and Inland Surface Oil Clean-up Fund" Sponsored by Senator Thomas Saviello
LD 1391 "An Act Regarding the Treatment of Forensic Patients" Sponsored by Representative Richard Malaby