AUGUSTA (AP) – The Maine House killed a bill Tuesday that sought to make losers in civil court cases pay the winning side’s legal fees. The bill had been debated earlier in the Senate, which also voted the measure down.

Maine is not the only state to consider such measures, which are aimed at discouraging excessive litigation and its costs.

Oklahoma lawmakers last year rejected a bill to create a “loser pays” system, which would also require litigants whose lawsuits are ruled frivolous to pay defendants’ attorneys’ fees.

Montana lawmakers considered a similar measure this session, but it would apply only in water rights cases.

Last year, a state law in Alaska intended to make environmental groups pay legal fees in unsuccessful court challenges against the state was struck down by a state Superior Court judge. The law had been enacted in 2003.

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AUGUSTA (AP) – Separate bills to ban remote-control hunting and require snowmobiles to keep to the right face only final Senate votes after House enactment votes on Tuesday.

One of the bills seeks to prevent a high-tech version of hunting, in which computers and cameras are used, before it surfaces in Maine. The ban is supported by animal welfare as well as hunting groups.

In remote-control hunting, clients hook up online to a set of cameras at a ranch, then sight game and fire a rifle.

Also receiving final passage was a bill to make operating a snowmobile to the left of the center of a trail when approaching or navigating a curve, corner, grade or hill a civil violation.

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