Pubdate: Thu, 28 Oct 1999
Source: Lewiston Sun Journal (ME)
Copyright: 1999 Lewiston Sun Journal
Contact:  P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, Maine 04243-4400
Fax: (207) 777-3436
Website: http://www.sunjournal.com/
Author: Bonnie Washuk, Staff Writer

KING OPPOSES ABORTION BAN, MEDICAL POT USE, FAVORS BONDS

Gov. Angus King said Wednesday he opposes the first two referendum
questions on the Nov. 2 ballot.

The first question seeks to ban partial-birth abortions; the second would
allow the use of home-grown marijuana for medical purposes.

King is not speaking out in paid advertisements as he did during earlier
gay rights and clear-cutting debates because he said he doesn't want to
tell people how to vote.

However, the governor said Wednesday, he is offering his views to anyone
who asks.

"I am opposed to Question 1 because I see it as an agonizing medical
decision that ought to be made by a woman and her doctor," King said.
"Government should not be making those kinds of decisions," he said.

As for the use of marijuana for patients, King said the overwhelming
medical opinion in Maine is against the referendum.

"It is somewhat of a fraud in the sense that marijuana would still be
illegal under the federal law, and to tell people it is OK isn't accurate.
Plus, I continue to believe if it does have medicinal value - and it may -
it would make more sense to have it be a medicine."

If the referendum passed, people who had a doctor's permission would be
able to grow and use their own marijuana. "I just think it's a real opening
of the door that we could deal with in another way without the negative
consequences," King said.

As for other questions on the ballot, the governor is urging support of all
bonds.

The borrowing would provide needed transportation improvements, allow Maine
to buy irreplaceable land, convert Maine Public Broadcasting to digital
technology and improve the stateis technical colleges, he says.

If all of the bonds, which total $154.3 million excluding interest, were to
be approved by voters, Maineis debt ratio would still be the lowest in the
Northeast and well below the national average.

According to the state Treasurer's Office, the percentage of Maine's
outstanding bonds compared to the annual state budget has been 15.6 percent
in 1991; 16 percent in 1994; 12.5 percent in 1997 and 11.5 percent in 1998.

"Maineis bond debt is in good shape," said Deputy State Treasurer Marc Cyr.
"Generally, we're fairly conservative. In fact, the outstanding general
fund debt has not changed significantly for quite a few years; it is
hovered around $300 million while state government and the economy has
grown dramatically."

Maine's general fund bond debt for the fiscal year is projected to be $332
million ($466 million, including the highway bonds). That amount of debt is
very reasonable, said State Budget Officer John Nicholas, for a state with
an annual budget of $2.3 billion.

Of all the bonds on the ballot, the $50 million bond to buy undeveloped
land rates the highest on King's list.

That Land for Maine's Future Program began in 1987 through a $35 million
bond, and bought 65,000 acres of land. The program has run out of money.

"This bond issue will continue the program of protecting great places on a
willing buyer-willing seller basis," King said.

"It's one of the few things we can do that's permanent. If we don't do it,
we'll turn around one day and say, "Where did Maine go?"

Other bonds King said are critical are the $12.5 million to build water
pollution control facilities, clean up tire dumps and hazardous waste
sites, $26.4 million to improve the stateis technical colleges, and $9.4
million to allow Maine Public Broadcasting to convert to digital technology.
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