Augusta - A bill that provides more oversight and stricter guidelines for the Maine Turnpike Authority is now law.

Governor LePage signed the bill this morning at the state house.

The turnpike authority has come under fire recently for what lawmakers called excessive and unnecessary expenses, like hotel stays and meals, and more than $100,000 worth of gift cards that went unaccounted for.

The interim head of the Maine Turnpike Authority, Peter Mills, says the new law gives the board of directors a better understanding of the finances at the MTA. "Probably the most important thing is it requires the turnpike authority to set up an internal auditing system so that there is a person that reports directly to the board on a regular basis about internal controls over financial issues. That's a pretty big point," Mills said on Friday.

The new law also changes the term length on the board of directors from seven years to six years.

The governor also introduced the man he will swear in to head the turnpike board, Dan Wathen. Wathen is a former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. "I'm really comfortable that this is a great organization that needs some correction," Wathen said during Friday's bill signing ceremony in the Cabinet Room in the State House. "And it will be on the road to correction and Maine will be pleased with the outcome."

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