Opt-in Informed Growth Act bill passes House
The state's four-year-old Informed Growth Act, which requires big-box store developers to commission an impact study, could become optional following a House of Representatives vote.
The House yesterday voted 90-59 in favor of LD 322, which would allow municipalities to opt in to the law, according to the Sun Journal. The law requires developers proposing a retail store more than 75,000 square feet to pay $40,000 for an independent economic impact study, used by the municipality to determine if it will have an adverse impact on the local economy. The bill initially sought to repeal the law, which opponents, mostly Republicans, say discourages businesses from locating in Maine. Democrats argued that making the Informed Growth Act optional essentially repeals it and puts towns that choose to use it at a disadvantage, according to the paper. The Senate must now vote on the bill.
Gov. Paul LePage originally included a repeal of the act in his package of regulatory reform, but the measure was taken out of the version of LD 1 drafted by a legislative committee.
For more on the Informed Growth Act, read "Big box out."
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