Gov. John Baldacci has asked all state agencies to do their part to reduce state spending in the administration's $438 million dollar supplemental budget. One proposal floated today in Augusta would give State Department of Public Safety more control over gambling in Maine.

During hearings before the Appropriations Committee, lawmakers quickly zeroed in on a proposal by Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan to save $100,000 dollars a year. "This initiative eliminates the position of the Director of the Gambling Control Board, and moves oversight of the program to the State Police," Jordan said.

The Gambling Control Board was created by the Maine Legislature in response to the citizen's initiative that legalized slot machines in Bangor. The board's Executive Director, Robert Welch, has been on the job for the last five years, after retiring from the Bangor Police Department as a deputy chief. Jordan says her decision was not easily reached.

"The position as it relates to director Welch was a very tough one," Jordan said. "He's been a dedicated employee who cares deeply about his work and ensure appropriate enforcement of the laws. However in these tough economic times, we're all in this together, and tough decisions had to be made to participate in our share of the reductions in the general fund, with the least amount of direct impact on public safety."

"It seems like this has gone way over budgetary into policy and we need to be looking at this from a policy decision, or it's a mistake," said state Rep. Pamela Trinward, a Waterville Democrat who co-chairs the Legislature's Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Trinward says it's fine for the commissioner to develop cost-saving measures to help balance the budget, but she says Jordan's plans to take over the state Gambling Control Board stray too far into the realm of policy setting -- a responsibility that Trinward and other legislators say belongs to the Legislature.

"If we've eliminated the Director of the Gambling Control Board, and we've taken away all the power of the Gambling Control Board itself, who is going to be in a position of regulating this, and essentially, it's the state police," Trinward says. "And I'm not sure that the state police is in a position to be doing this. I think there should be a board of directors, I believe that the governor has appointed a good board, they do a good job, I'm supportive of what they do, and I don't think we're doing the right thing if we take way their power."

State Rep. Linda Valentino, a Saco Democrat who also sits on the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee agrees. "it's one thing to be saving money, but they've stepped way over into policy and they're using the budget as a vehicle to change significant policy. The policy should be addressed at this level at this board, and we will be looking into this."

"How it's going to work out, I don't know," says Peter Danton of Saco, who is serving his last term on the Gambling Control Board. "But I really think the board really hasn't had a lot of work to do -- that's one reason why I decided I might as well get off and give the governor an opportunity to appoint someone else."

Danton also sits on the Liquor and Lottery Commission. He says it may be time for the Legislature to take a different approach to the regulation of gambling activities in the state. Currently, the Department of Agriculture oversees parimutual harness racing and off-track betting activites, while the state Lottery Commission regulates lottery sales and the Gambling Control Board oversees the Hollywood Slots racino gaming in Bangor.

Meanwhile, the Maine State Police have oversight of beano games in the state and non-profit games of chance actvities. Rep. Valentino says there ought to be a more efficient approach to regulation and enforcement.

"I think that we should be combining some of that," she says. "I'm not objecting to eliminating the position, but I think I don't like to have it in just the state police's hand, I would rather have a board such as the Gambling Control Board and the Liquor and Lottery Commission."

Members of the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee say they hope to develop a more comprehensive gambling regulation bill in the weeks ahead.