AUGUSTA — The Legislature sustained five more vetoes issued by Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Monday.

So far Democratic lawmakers have been unable to overturn 17 LePage vetoes.

In separate votes in the House and the Senate on Monday, lawmakers were unable to muster the two-thirds majorities needed as they attempted to override bills that addressed everything from Canadian loggers on state lands to loan forgiveness for a doctor who is now practicing in Maine.

Other bills vetoed by LePage and sustained by the Legislature included ones that would have created study groups to examine hospital charity care and state license requirements for nursing home administrators.

In his veto message LePage said the work on nursing home certifications was already under way by the Department of Health and Human Services.

In a 21-14 vote, the Senate failed to override the veto of a bill to provide loan forgiveness for neurology-psychiatry practitioners. Other doctors working with underserved populations in Maine are often able to obtain student loan forgiveness from the Finance Authority of Maine.

The bill, offered by Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, was aimed at a specific doctor who changed course of study to address the needs of patients in Maine, including soldiers and other military members or veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I am so very disappointed that the chief executive decided to veto this bill,” Craven said. “Because I know he supports education, he supports keeping our young people here in Maine, and again I hope you would re-vote the same vote you took last week under the hammer.”

But like several override votes this session, the Senate split along party lines with mostly Republicans supporting LePage’s vetoes with Democrats trying to override them — even after unanimous support from the Senate earlier.

“We lament daily about young professionals leaving our state,” Craven said. “This bill would have provided loan forgiveness for a highly specialized professional to provide services to an underserved population — children with developing brains, seniors with Alzheimer’s and veterans returning from service with traumatic brain injuries.”

The bill, LD 1093, would have changed the rules allowing loan forgiveness for doctors who practice neurology-psychiatry in Maine.

But in his veto message LePage said he opposed the bill because it was aimed at helping a single individual and that while the field of treatment was important it was not one eligible for loan forgiveness during the time the debt was incurred.

The logging bill would have required the state to hire Maine residents for logging jobs on public lands. The measure is a perennial one for Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. And LePage vetoed a similar measure last session because it was in violation of the state and federal constitutions.

“I support Maine loggers working Maine lands,” LePage wrote in his current veto message. “However, we must abide by our oaths to uphold the Constitutions of this State and the United States. It may not be popular or easy but upholding your oath is the right thing to do.”

The bills will see no additional votes in the Legislature this session.

 [email protected]