The movement to restore self-governance to Wabanaki Nations continued in the Maine Legislature Thursday as lawmakers held hearings on a pair of bills designed to put the tribes on the same footing as their federally recognized peers.
Both proposals are designed to overhaul an agreement signed by Wabanaki leaders and the state in 1980 that has limited tribal welfare and economic opportunities ever since. Nearly identical legislation has stalled in recent years, largely due to opposition from Gov. Janet Mills. But on Thursday, Jerry Reid, the governor's chief legal counsel, told state lawmakers that talks with tribal leaders were underway to reach a new compromise.
