Other Legislation of Interest
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Promote Green Jobs - At the national level, and here in Maine, lawmakers are focused on boosting “green jobs” in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable businesses. Several legislators have introduced bills to encourage green jobs, including Representatives Henry Beck (Waterville) and Seth Berry (Bowdoinham), and Senator Phil Bartlett (Gorham). Some of these bills are designed to increase workforce development in areas such as weatherization, which could help position Maine for federal economic stimulus funding. The goal is to promote an economic recovery that includes job growth in areas that also contribute to our energy security and sustainable communities.
Increase Renewable Energy - Maine lawmakers have introduced a broad range of bills to increase renewable energy in Maine. Representative Flood (Winthrop) has a bill in to increase the use of windpower by homeowners by exempting residential wind turbines from property taxes. Sen. Larry Bliss (Portland) introduced a bill to increase the requirement for renewable energy as a portion of total electricity sold in Maine. Rep. Bruce MacDonald (Boothbay) and Rep. Van Wie (New Gloucester) each have bills to improve the economics of community-based renewable energy systems. Sen. Bill Diamond (Windham) has introduced legislation to geothermal energy systems, and Reps. Hinck, Beck, Berry and Sen. John Nutting (Leeds) each have a bill that encourages the use of solar energy in Maine through a variety of approaches.
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Curb Toxic Pollution – Maine has been a leader in legislation to get toxic chemicals such as mercury and lead out of consumer products, and important provisions to build on those laws will be debated this year. In addition to bills to establish recycling for mercury-containing lights, NRCM also will be working in support of a bill introduced by Rep. Hinck to expand the state’s electronic waste (e-waste) recycling program, and a bill introduced by Rep. Sharon Treat (Gardiner) to further reduce mercury use and emissions.
Coal, Tar Sands, and Offshore Oil - Maine currently is highly dependent on energy sources that cause significant environmental harm. To help bring attention to this, Rep. Elsie Flemings (D-Bar Harbor) has introduced legislation to reduce the use by Maine people of oil extracted from Canadian tar sands and coal, especially coal extracted through mountain-top removal in Appalachia. Rep. John Martin (D-Eagle Lake) has introduced a bill to ban drilling of oil off Maine's coast.
Consolidate Natural Resource Agencies – Governor Baldacci has expressed a strong interest in consolidating Maine’s natural resource agencies, and created a task force to evaluate options. That Task Force, of which NRCM was a member, failed to reach consensus; thus, the Governor is expected to introduce legislation that would consolidate four natural resource agencies (the Departments of Inland Fish & Wildlife, Agriculture, Conservation, and Marine Resources) into one. Rep. Wendy Pieh (Bremen) has introduced a bill supported by agriculture and forestry interests that would reshuffle the four agencies, but not reduce the number. Rep. Tom Watson (Bath) has a bill in that would combine Inland Fish & Wildlife and Marine Resources into one agency.
Stop Harmful Forms of Use – Maine is dependent on forms of energy that cause significant environmental impacts. To help bring attention to this reality, Rep. Elsie Flemings (Bar Harbor) has introduced legislation aimed at developing ways to reduce the use by Maine people of oil extracted from Canadian tar sands and coal, especially coal extracted through mountain-top removal in Appalachia. Rep. John Martin (Eagle Lake) has introduced a bill to ban drilling of oil off Maine’s coast.
Invest Through Bonds – In addition to bond requests for the Land for Maine’s Future program, bills have been introduced for a broad range of other topics – including to promote sustainable housing (Rep. Pingree), fund wastewater treatment facilities (Rep. Flood), invest in infrastructure at Maine’s state parks (Rep. Goodall), revitalize downtowns (Sen. Libby Mitchell), and insulate homes across the state (Sen. Bartlett).
Bad Bills
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| Photo of Moosehead Lake by Jerry and Marcy Monkman. LURC is currently developing a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Maine's unorganized territories. |
NRCM closely watches for bills that would weaken Maine’s environmental laws or obstruct progress. Several bill titles have been introduced this session that appear to be aimed at blocking careful planning to protect Maine’s unorganized territories from scattered development. Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission currently is developing a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and this document has become a target of several lawmakers. NRCM will oppose legislation that would prevent LURC from developing an updated plan based on sound planning principles, and designed to protect the core of Maine’s North Woods from scattered development. We also will oppose legislation introduced by Rep. Henry Joy (Crystal) to eliminate the State Planning Office, a bill by Rep. Richard Cebra (Naples) to repeal Maine’s Clean Elections Act. Other bill titles have raised red flags for NRCM staff, but we will pursue conversations with the sponsors and wait to see the final bill language before establishing a position.