Maine State Legislature passes new restrictions on town petition drives and referendum elections
The state Senate approved new limits Wednesday on the ability of towns and their residents to fight unwanted development projects. In a floor fight lead by Lewiston state Sen. Peggy Rotundo, a Democrat, and Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, opponents tried to stop the legislation and then to amend it to make it less restrictive. While they were unable to stop the bill, a compromise reached with the bill’s supporters did extend the amount of time that municipalities and residents have to react to development proposals.