AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine legislators have a habit of submitting one-sentence draft bills that give an idea of what they want to do, just not how they’re going to do it.
Some call them an annoyance while others say they’re a convenience. But several lawmakers and advocacy groups say vague drafts can slow down the wheels of democracy and shut out the public. Critics say drafts can be a bait-and-switch tactic leading to complex laws with unanticipated consequences.
Lawmakers return Wednesday to work on these and other bills.
A 2012 law calling for a rewrite of the state’s mining rules is one example of a one-sentence draft getting turned into a 23-page bill. J.D. Irving lobbied for the law, which paved the way for the conglomerate to mine in a northern Maine deposit.
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