State Rep. Stacey Fitts, R-Pittsfield, called Gov. John Baldacci misguided for refusing to sign a bill that would have allowed non-profits to use gambling events as fundraisers.

The bill passed 77 to 56 in the House on Friday, with support on both sides of the aisle, but Baldacci announced his intentions for a pocket veto Tuesday.

“Despite claims by the governor in his announcement, LD-2236 in no way represents an expansion of gambling in Maine,” Fitts said in a release issued Thursday. “The bill simply eliminates a significant amount of the regulatory burden imposed on non-profit organizations that choose to conduct casual gaming activities, like cribbage tournaments and poker runs as fundraisers.”

Fitts said the veto proved that Baldacci is out of touch with Maine citizens. Such events are “harmless”, he said.

“Maine’s non-profit communities rely on fundraising events like poker runs, cribbage tournaments, card games and raffles as a way to promote and support their activities and raise money for charity. These events offer a great way for participants to enjoy themselves in a safe environment while supporting organizations whose work benefit all the people of Maine.”

The Maine Snowmobile Association also responded to Baldacci’s rejection of the legislation. In a release issued Wednesday, Executive Director Bob Meyers said the legislation eliminated a lot of the hoops non-profits have to jump through to hold such fundraisers.

“Dozens of Maine's snowmobile, ATV and motorcycle clubs use poker runs as a way to promote and support their activities and raise money for charity. These events offer a great way for participants to enjoy group rides in a safe environment while supporting organizations whose work benefit all the people of Maine. Recently many clubs have cancelled poker runs and other similar events due to the complicated bureaucratic process required to obtain a license from the Department of Public Safety. "A lot of our clubs told us that one look at the Department's 67-page rule book on non-profit games of chance convinced them it was not worth the effort to conduct an event that might net a few hundred dollars," Meyers said.