House rejects pilotage-exemption for Bar Harbor–Yarmouth passenger ferry

The Maine House on March 11 rejected a motion to recede and concur on a bill that would have provided a pilotage exemption for passenger ferry service between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, after a heated floor debate about subsidies and safety.

Representative Crafts urged support for the motion, saying the ferry ‘‘has an operating budget of about $58,000,000 a year with $9,000,000 of state funds’’ and that most riders are Americans who benefit from the service’s economic linkages to the state. ‘‘I would encourage this body to support this motion,’’ Crafts said. He described the proposal as a compromise reached by Bay Ferries and the pilotage commission to preserve cross-border service.

Opponents framed the bill as an inappropriate use of Maine taxpayer dollars to subsidize an out-of-state company. Representative Bishop said the earlier version of the bill differed from the public hearing and accused outside money of influencing the process: ‘‘It just shows the power that corporate money is using within this building to get what they want.’’ Representative Stroud and others also argued that private companies that profit from the route should contribute more to pilotage and safety costs.

The motion failed on a roll-call vote, with 56 members voting in the affirmative and 86 voting in the negative. The House recorded the result after a requested roll call and closed voting procedures.

The debate focused on competing questions of economic benefit and public accountability: supporters cited tourism and the number of U.S. riders, while opponents warned against creating a precedent for state funds to subsidize private, out-of-state operators. The House did not adopt the recede-and-concur motion; the bill therefore did not advance under that motion at this session.