Legislative Council accepts Sen. Vitelli bills for consideration in 2020
The Legislative Council on Wednesday approved legislation from Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, for consideration in the 2020 session of the Maine Legislature.
“Maine made a lot of progress in our 2019 session, but there is still more work to be done,” said Sen. Vitelli. “The bills I introduced will help us continue our efforts to combat climate change and leave a greener world for future generations, and will help our heritage industries thrive.”
The bills Sen. Vitelli introduced are:
LR 2925, “An Act To Incentivize the Purchase of Electric Public School Buses,” would provide incentives to municipalities and other purchasers of school buses to replace aging vehicles with electric buses. This bill also will create a pilot program to work with a large municipality or county to create the infrastructure needs to create vehicle to grid energy systems that let buses charge, but also feed stored energy back to the grid.
Electric school buses are less costly to run and maintain than traditional school buses, while also reducing a school district’s carbon footprint. They are an expensive up-front cost, however, and require new charging infrastructure to be set up. Sen. Vitelli’s bill would help districts get over the initial hurdle as they transition their school bus fleet.
LR 2924, “An Act To Authorize Separate Alternative Compliance Payment Rates for Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard,” which would clarify provisions in the new Renewable Portfolio Standards law that Sen. Vitelli passed earlier this year to ensure the Public Utilities Commission has the authority to set appropriate alternative compliance rates as it conducts rulemaking.
LR 3095, “An Act To Exempt Truck Drivers Transporting Live Lobsters from Certain Restrictions,” which would allow truck drivers to transport live lobsters more efficiently by including haulers of live lobster within the current exemption for those transporting other live animals such as chickens. This change will make it easier for lobster dealers Downeast to get their lobsters to Boston, an important market for the lobster industry.
Bills submitted for consideration during the Second Regular Session, which begins Jan. 8, must be approved by a majority of the 10-member Legislative Council as emergency measures. The Council consists of the 10 elected members of legislative leadership, including Sen. Vitelli, who serves as Assistant Senate Majority Leader.
