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Advocates for Veterans Urge Southern Maine Casino Approval

Irwin Gratz
/
MPBN
American Legion official Chick Ciciotte urges lawmakers to approve a bill to allow a casino in southern Maine at a news conference Monday in Falmouth.

FALMOUTH, Maine - Veterans advocates will try again Tuesday to win passage of a bill that would allow for another casino in southern Maine.

Long-time American Legion official Chick Ciciotte told reporters in Falmouth today he wasn't speaking for the Legion, but for veterans. Ciciotte said the arguments of some legislators who oppose the bill are hypocritical.
 
"And when I have legislators come to me and tell me, 'Well, I can't - I can't vote for that, I'm opposed to gambling,' but yet they'll go to church on Sunday morning and their church just had bingo Saturday night," Ciciotte said.

The bill passed its first vote in the House, but failed 20-15 in the state Senate. Ciciotte says he hopes legislators will take up the measure again, and pass it when they meet Tuesday.