PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 10, 2023
Jerry Reid, Gov. Mills’ chief legal counsel, provided some insight into the governor’s opposition to legislation that would restore language on tribal treaty obligations to the Maine Constitution. The practicable, applicable law is the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, Reid pointed out, which replaced the treaties in question in 1980. Mills is facing down not only tribal representatives and advocates but, increasingly, peers in government as well as large parts of her base. Without more detailed communication from the governor, the speculation and bewilderment, ranging from mild to extreme, can only continue.