Regulatory Reform bill advances with bipartisan support

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers on the Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform gave preliminary approval with a unanimous vote on a bill to reform Maine’s regulatory climate late today. The bill, LD 1, was originally put forth as a concept by Senate President Kevin Raye of Perry and House Speaker Robert Nutting of Oakland, and language was provided by Governor Paul LePage.  The language underwent significant changes after seven public hearings across the state in which Maine people rejected the governor’s extreme environmental rollbacks, including overdeveloping the Maine woods and permitting toxic chemicals in children’s products.

“We worked in a bipartisan fashion to help Maine businesses, while protecting the Maine brand and our natural resources,” said Senator Seth Goodall of Richmond, the lead Democratic Senator on the committee, who helped shape alternative proposals to the governor’s original bill. “We worked with the stakeholders from the business community to find the right solutions for Maine .”

The new measure establishes an environmental self-audit program, strengthens the business assistance office in the Department of Economic and Community Development, streamlines permitting, and reduces the size of the Board of Environmental Protection from 10 to 7, amongst others.  It also creates a position within the Secretary of State’s Office to advocate on behalf of certain businesses.

“We took our lead from what Maine businesses, large and small, told us in hearings across the state,” said Rep. Bob Duchesne, who is the lead House Democrat on the regulatory reform committee.  “The proposal addresses real concerns in our regulatory process.  It also does not jeopardize our natural resources and the Maine brand that many businesses, such as Poland Spring, L.L. Bean and our fishermen prosper from each day.”

The bill will now face votes in the House and Senate.