Governor Vetoes LD1400 “An Act to Create the Bar Harbor Port Authority”

In a letter to members of the 128th Legislature dated March 6th, Governor Paul LePage vetoed LD 1400 "An Act to Create the Bar Harbor Port Authority" and urged the Legislature to sustain the veto.

In his veto letter he  stated

"Creating a port authority for Bar Harbor is an unnecessary municipal bureaucracy whose purpose is to deflect accountability from the town. Bar Harbor is aware they cannot legally prohibit cruise ships from visiting and very recently the citizens defeated a proposed moratorium on cruise ships. The fact of the matter is hundreds of cruise ships have visited Bar Harbor and over one hundred are anticipated to come in this year. Maine has several coastal towns, including Bar Harbor, where cruise ship traffic is handled by municipalities and has been for years. The municipalities can maintain and expand the necessary infrastructure to land any cruise ship just as, if not more, effectively than a local port authority.

The unintended consequences of creating local authorities despite the existence of centralized, structured and regulated authorities are playing out today. The Legislature should be more interested in utilizing our existing authorities and state operated agencies than offering autonomy to anyone seeking it, which may create serious safety concerns."