AUGUSTA, Maine — Bars would be able stay open until 2 a.m. under a pilot program proposed by Gov. Paul LePage. The pilot — as described in LD 1436, which was submitted as emergency legislation by Rep. Jonathan Kinney, R-Limington — would run this summer, through Columbus Day.
Rep. Louis Luchini, a Democrat from Ellsworth who co-chairs the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, said he’s open to the idea but has some reservations.
“I really want to hear what people say at the public hearing,” Luchini said, “though I do have a lot of concerns about the bill as written.”
Luchini expressed concerns that the bill not override local objections to the pilot program. He said if a town requires a bar to stop serving booze at, say, midnight, the Legislature should not override those local rules.
Sen. Scott Cyrway, a Benton Republican who also co-chairs the committee, says he is concerned about the extra law enforcement costs of the pilot program.
The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill next week.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public Broadcasting Network.