AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine lawmakers have failed to pass a bill to give municipalities the option of allowing certain grocery stores to open on three major holidays.
The Senate killed the bill last week. The Maine House had voted 75-67 against the bill, while the Senate had voted 18-14.
The bill would have allowed towns to pass ordinances to allow grocery stores with no more than 10,000 square feet to be open Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. The House failed to pass an amendment changing the threshold to 5,000 square feet.
Maine Heritage Policy Center and retail groups supported the bill that backers say gives consumers the power to decide if stores are open or closed on holidays. A similar bill was vetoed by the state’s former Republican governor in the last legislative session.
