Anti-RV "No Overnight Parking" bill in Maine Legislature

[jamesobriant]

I just sent the following information to my OvernightRVParking Yahoo Group, and
asked that they post it on any other RV-related discussion groups. Here's the
current status of the bill, and some people to contact about it:

======================

The State of Maine is currently considering legislation which would make it
illegal for RVs to park overnight in "any public parking structure" (i.e.,
business parking lots) anyplace in the state of Maine. If this bill (HP 98, LD
114) passes, it would be illegal for RVers to park for the night and sleep in
their RVs at any business other than "a mobile home park or recreational vehicle
park allowed by a municipality or a camping area licensed by the department."

The penalty for violating this proposed law would be $100, which would be
suspended upon first violation. It's the RVer who would be fined, not the
business.

Shortcomings in the law include:

(1) No need for self-contained RV's to use or pay for many campground amenities
when all that's needed is a night's sleep.

(2) Language of the bill would make it illegal for RVers to park overnight at
truck stops.

(3) No provision for where RVers would stay from late fall through early spring,
when nearly all Maine campgrounds are closed for the season.

(4) No provision requiring campgrounds to be open to check RVers in at any time
of day or night when they might arrive.

(5) No provision requiring campgrounds to offer facilities to accommodate any
kind of RV, including spaces to accommodate the largest rigs, or for campgrounds
to provide and maintain access roads with sufficient weight-bearing capacity and
adequate clearances.

(6) No forethought as to what impact there will be on the Maine tourist economy
if RVers elect to avoid visiting, passing through or spending money in Maine, as
they did in Billings, MT, Laughlin, NV and Reno, NV when those cities attempted
to enact or enforce similar bans on a local basis.

(7) The general principle of forcing member of the public (RVers) to patronize
businesses (campgrounds) that they may not want to patronize.

(8) Some of the legislative material also mentions the issue of waste disposal,
the usual "red herring" that campground owners throw out when pressuring for
this kind of law. The law would punish all RVers for the transgressions of the
very few who dump tanks where they shouldn't, an action that is already illegal,
and only requires enforcement to prevent it.


This bill is currently tabled in the Maine House of Representatives. I has yet
to be passed by either the Maine House or the Maine Senate. I've been able to
find no indication of the likelihood of its being passed, but when I telephoned
the legislative offices to find out the bill's status, the clerk who took my
call was unaware of the bill, then read it, and thought it was stupid.

Here is a link to the text of the bill:

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bi...billpdfs/H
P009802.pdf

(Yahoo or your email program will probably spit that link, so you'll have to
piece it back together in the address bar of your
browser.)

The sponsor of the bill is Rep. Anne C. Perry, Democrat from Calais, ME. Here is
her contact information, as taken from the Maine Legislature Website:

Address: 474 South Street, Calais, ME 04619 Home Telephone: (207) 454-7338 Cell
Phone: (207) 214-7000 Home E-Mail: aperry@... State House E-Mail:
RepAnne.Perry@...
Legislative Web Site: http://www.maine.gov/legis/housedems/aperry
(Additional information, news, etc.,
from the House Majority Office)
State House Message Phone: (800) 423-2900 State House TTY Line: (207) 287-4469
Representing: District 31 - Baileyville, Baring, Calais, Charlotte,
Passamaquoddy Indian Township, Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point, Perry and
Robbinston, plus part of the unorganized territory of North Washington
Committee: Health and Human Services (Chair) Party Affiliation: Democrat Legal
Residence: Calais Seat in House Chamber: 68
Occupation: Nurse Practitioner
Family: 3 Children, 2 Grandchildren

===========

The House Majority Leader in the Maine Legislature is John F.
Piotti, a Democrat from Unity, ME. Here is his contact information, as taken
from the Maine Legislature Website:

Address: 1075 Albion Road, Unity, ME 04988 Home Telephone: (207) 437-2493
Business Telephone: (207) 287-1430 Home E-Mail: piotti@... State House
E-Mail: RepJohn.Piotti@...
Legislative Web Site: http://www.maine.gov/legis/housedems/jpiotti
(Additional information, news, etc.,
from the House Majority Office)
State House Message Phone: (800) 423-2900 State House TTY Line: (207) 287-4469
Representing: District 45 - Burnham, Freedom, Knox, Montville, Palermo,
Thorndike, Troy and Unity
Committee: Rules and Business of the House Party Affiliation: Democrat Legal
Residence: Unity Seat in House Chamber: 1
Occupation: Executive Director of State-Wide Non-Profit
Family: Susan (Wife), 2 Children

=================

Here are two more contacts in Maine:

Governor John Baldacci

Communicate your comments to the Governor:

http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/c...ervices/sh
are_views.html

(Yahoo or your email program will probably spit that link, so you'll have to
piece it back together in the address bar of your
browser.)

Or go to:

http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/index.shtml

Then scroll down to "Citizen Services" and click the [Share your views] link.

Other contact information:

Mailing Address
Office of the Governor
#1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
Phone
207-287-3531
207-287-6548 (TTY)
Fax
207-287-1034

============

The President of the Main Chamber of Commerce is Mr. Dana Connors (that's MR.
Connors, not MS.), and his email address is:

dana.f.connors@...

Because Yahoo truncates email addresses, this may be useful:

dana.f.connors (at) mainechamber (dot) org

=============

Jim O'Briant
Gilroy, CA
Administrator, http://www.OvernightRVParking.com