AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A legislative committee is taking another look at a proposal to legalize fireworks sales in Maine.
The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee has scheduled a work session on Rep. Douglas Damon’s bill to remove Maine’s prohibition on the sale and use of consumer fireworks. The Bangor Republican’s bill also establishes a licensing protocol for sellers of consumer fireworks.
It’s not clear whether the committee will vote Monday. Damon says fireworks spark about $8 million in sales annually in neighboring New Hampshire, so Maine is losing sales tax revenue and licensing fees that could be used to assist local fire departments and emergency responders.
He also sees access to fireworks as a personal freedoms issue. A similar bill that came up in 2009 fizzled in the State House.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.