Maine Gov. John Baldacci pocket-vetoed a bill that would have limited the time citizens could vote to overturn land-use decisions.
Under the proposed legislation, Maine municipalities would have had only 75 days after a project permit was issued to hold a referendum to overturn that project.
Proponents of the bill argued it would streamline the development process and prevent needless delays of legal building projects. They said such a law would help affordable housing projects move forward.
But opponents feared the legislation was a Trojan horse that would allow big box stores and developers to circumvent the local planning process. They argued that city councilors or town selectmen could push projects through simply by refusing to call for referendums in the appointed time. Grassroots land-use activists warned that 75 days was not enough time to gather the necessary signatures to force a referendum.
Sponsored by Democratic Sens. Lynn Bromley of Cape Elizabeth and Ted Koffman of Bar Harbor, the bill had supporters and detractors on both sides of the legislative aisle. It passed easily in the Senate with a vote of 21-12, but faced emotional debate in the House, where the vote was closer at 75-66.
The governor pocket-vetoed the bill by refusing to sign it before the legislative term expired. By doing so, he effectively killed it for this legislative session.