Protect Maine's Reusable Bag Law!

We are pleased to announce that all 3 bills aiming to repeal Maine's reusable bag law have failed. The Maine State Legislature voted on April 28, 2021 to concur with the Committee findings, protecting our law.

THANKS to all who turned out to support this campaign!

UPDATE:

On March 3, 2021, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 9-4 to reject all three bills attempting to repeal Maine's statewide plastic bag ban law. 

This is a great step in the right direction!

The vote was then reported out of Committee on March 30, 2021, and the three bills will now go to the floor of both chambers to be called for votes by the legislature, with the recommendation from the Committee that these bills should NOT pass.

YOU CAN HELP!

Please call or email your Maine State House Representative and Senator to let them know that YOU support Maine's bag law, and want them to vote AGAINST LDs 39, 108, and 244! Find contact info here.

Then if you're REALLY feelin' activist-y, fill out this online form to let Governor Mills know the same: that YOU support Maine's bag law, and want her to support votes AGAINST LDs 39, 108, and 244!

Thank you!

HISTORIC ACCOUNT

Three bills surfaced this session aiming to repeal the Maine State Reusable Bag law that we helped pass in 2019. The law was initially set to take effect on Earth Day in 2020, but COVID-19 had other plans! 

Governor Mills delayed the implementation of the law to January 15, 2021. While the law is now currently in effect, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection announced that due to COVID-19, it would not be enforcing the law until July 1, 2021.

However, LD244, LD39, and LD108 were introduced this session in an effort to repeal the law, all together. 

The public hearings for the three bills before the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources are scheduled back-to-back for Monday, February 22 beginning at 10AM.

We urged Mainers to testify in support of our reusable bag law and against all three bills attempting to weaken our law.

There's still time to submit written testimony ahead of the TBD Work Session! Just fill out this online form, addressing your comments to Chair Brenner, Chair Tucker, and Members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Be sure to add your full name and town of residence! If you have a personal connection to plastic bag pollution, single-use product litter, or an adjacent issue - that's great fodder for testimony! 

To learn more about providing remote testimony this session, for talking points, or to engage on this campaign directly with us, please email maine@surfrider.org.