MacDonald: Hospital bill not dead yet
In a work session May 8, the Committee on State and Local Government voted 5-3 that LD 1127, which would have created Hospital Administrative District Number 5, “ought not to pass.”
After the work session, two more committee members voted to make the vote 7-3, but other member’s votes were still out. On Tuesday, Rep. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) said the committee’s vote is currently 7-5.
MacDonald submitted the emergency bill on behalf of the St. Andrews Task Force. If passed, LD 1127 would have mandated local referendums on creating a hospital administrative district in Lincoln County.
The vote means it will be much more difficult for the bill to capture the necessary two-thirds majority of the legislature required for emergency legislation.
“It’s a split vote; that isn’t always horrible,” MacDonald said. “It can still come to the floor, be debated and there is a possibility of overturning it.
“It would take some mighty doing, but it can be done.”
MacDonald said he would need to think “long and hard” about whether he would bring the bill to the floor; but, in the meantime, he is continuing to lobby the committee.
“I’ve asked the committee to reconsider its vote. There might be some movement in the committee on the vote,” MacDonald said.
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