AUGUSTA
By a count of 88-55, LD 1476 survived a House of Representatives floor vote Wednesday and next will be sent to the Senate for its consideration.
The bill would add two seats to the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority’s Board of Directors, one each specifically for Brunswick and Topsham. The neighboring communities host the former naval air station, now a planned business and commerce park called Brunswick Landing. But when the Legislature created MRRA to redevelop the former base, it did not allow for municipal representation.
Wednesday’s House vote reverses an “ought not to pass” recommendation when the bill came out of committee 10 days ago.
Rep. Mattie Daughtry, D–Brunswick, authored the bill and argued for its approval on the Democrat controlled House floor Wednesday. Her explanation swayed enough members to support the minority opinion that the bill should be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.
The Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development’s recommendation of “ought not to pass” failed with only 55 votes. There are 151 state representatives; eight members of the House were absent at the time of the vote.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Daughtry said about making her first argument before the entire House. “I just tried to be passionate about the bill and why it’s a good idea, and apparently it worked.”
The roll-call vote blurred party lines, and Daughtry said she was surprised by some of the votes cast.
Some Democrats she was sure would vote for it didn’t, and other Republicans surprised her by favoring it.
That’s why she isn’t making any predictions about how the Senate will treat LD 1476.
“They could vote on it tomorrow, they could table it, anything could happen,” she said.
Because there are no amendments or changes to the bill, it was sent directly to the Senate. A floor vote could happen anytime.
“In the normal course of events, it could come up (today) or Friday,” said Andy Cashman, a lobbyist for the town of Brunswick.
“Or if someone wanted to delay it, the latest could be right before they adjourn in June,” he said.
jtleonard@timesrecord.com
¦ HOW THEY VOTED
Local representatives voted Wednesday
on LD 1476 (a “yes” vote supported
the “ought not to pass” committee
recommendation.)
YES
Rep. Eleanor Espling, R-New Gloucester
Rep. Sara Gideon, D-Freeport
Rep. Peter Kent, D-Woolwich
Rep. Charles Priest, D-Brunswick
NO
Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham
Rep. Matthea Daughtry, D-Brunswick
Rep. Jennifer DeChant, D-Bath
Rep. Bruce MacDonald, D-Boothbay
Rep. Timothy Marks, D-Pittston
Rep. Andrew Mason, D-Topsham
Rep. Jeremy Saxton, D-Harpswell
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