Maine Senate overrides LePage veto of bill to help ‘Cold Case Families’

AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate on Monday voted unanimously to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of LD 1605, “An Act to Extend the Time for Commencing an Action Relating to Death Caused by Homicide.”

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, on behalf of the families of cold case victims, who were present in the Senate Gallery to witness the veto override.

“I want to thank these families,” Sen. Valentino said. “This is their bill, not mine.  They have advocated strongly for this its passage even though it won’t help any of them. This bill isn’t for their benefit — it’s for the benefit of future victim’s families, who should never be denied justice because of an arbitrary statute of limitations.”

The bill would will give families of homicide victims up to six years to file civil actions related to their loved one’s deaths. The current statute of limitations is just two years. Advocates have argued that two years is not enough time for the families of victims of cold-case homicides to assemble a wrongful death case in civil court.

The bill had earned the unanimous support of the Judiciary Committee, and has the support of Attorney General Janet Mills. It now goes to the House of Representatives for a final veto override vote.