Advocacy Alert: MUBEC – Oppose LD 1416 and Support LD 1253 with Senator Rector’s Amendment

Maine’s uniform building and energy code is under attack at the Legislature, and your legislator’s committee is working on a bill that could stave off these attacks by making some sensible, minor adjustments.

The USGBC Maine Chapter supports these efforts and we hope you will contact your legislator, who is on the Labor-Commerce Committee and urge them to SUPPORT LD 1253 with Senator Rector’s amendment.

Please contact your legislator today, who is on the State and Local Government Committee and urge them to OPPOSE LD 1416.  This bill would effectively repeal the statewide code, resulting in higher energy costs for consumers and a confusing regulatory environment for builders.

Feel free to use the following sample text to correspond with your legislator(s):

Subject: Please Support LD 1253 with Sen. Rector’s amendment

Dear legislator,

Please SUPPORT LD 1253 WITH Sen. Rector’s amendment. This bill will make some minor improvements to Maine’s Building Code to smooth implementation, by increasing the availability of code inspectors and clarifying requirements for Certificates of Occupancy.

The committee has heard these and other specific things that could be changed to smooth implementation of Maine’s building code. Please pass this bill and preserve the most important elements of the code: a true statewide building & energy code with effective enforcement.

As you heard through written and oral testimony, Maine’s Uniform Building & Energy Code is strongly supported by Maine’s leading building trade organizations – for many reasons, most importantly that a uniform statewide code makes development in Maine easier. It increases the confidence in making investments in Maine. Maine people also strongly support a statewide building and energy code (80% – with overwhelming support across all demographics and political parties).

Please SUPPORT LD 1253 WITH Sen. Rector’s amendment. The code is good for business and for Maine people.

Thank you,
Citizen

Subject: Please Oppose LD 1416

Dear legislator,

It is important that Maine’s uniform building and energy code remains statewide in order to provide consistency for builders and save homebuyers and businesses money on their energy bills from day one.

Please OPPOSE LD 1416, which would effectively repeal Maine’s statewide building and energy code and set Maine back, resulting in higher costs for consumers and a confusing regulatory environment for builders. As you may know, another committee has already been working on this issue. Please reject LD 1416 and allow the Labor-Commerce Committee to continue its detailed work providing improvements to the code.

Maine tried the opt-in approach for many years – it failed to provide uniformity or provide health, safety, or energy efficiency for consumers. That experience is the reason WHY the Legislature passed a statewide code in 2008.

Maine’s Uniform Building & Energy Code is strongly supported by leaders in Maine’s major building trade organizations – for many reasons, most importantly that a uniform statewide code makes development in Maine easier. It increases the confidence in making investments in Maine. Maine people also strongly support a statewide building and energy code (80% – with overwhelming support across all demographics and political parties).

Please OPPOSE LD 1416! It is bad for business and bad for Maine people.

Thank you,

Citizen