On Wednesday, Governor Paul R. LePage vetoed a bill that would restrict parental rights by making it illegal for teenagers under 18 to use tanning booths, even with parental consent.
The majority of Republicans in the House and Senate voted down the measure, LD 272, "An Act To Reduce Youth Cancer Risk. However, with a Democratic-controlled Legislature the bill reached the Governor's desk Wednesday.
In his veto message to the 126th Legislature, Governor LePage wrote, "This bill does one thing: it tells Maine parents that Augusta knows better than they do when it comes to their children."
Current Maine law requires parents to provide permission for their minor child (at least 14 years of age) to use a tanning device such as a tanning bed.
"This is government run amok -- Maine parents can make the right decisions for their families," stated Governor LePage.