AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Senate Republicans have sustained the governor's veto of a bill designed to crack down on short pints.
LD 122, An Act To Standardize Pints of Beer Sold in Maine, would have ensured that all beer sold as pints contain a full 16 ounces.
"By not fulfilling the obligation when someone says I'm selling a pint of beer, it is actually consumer fraud," said Democratic state Sen. John Patrick of Rumford, as he argued for an overturn of the governor's veto.
But in a party-line vote of 14 - 20, Maine Senate Republicans sustained it.
The bill initially passed with support from all three senators on the state’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, including Republican Senators Scott Cyrway and Ron Collins--both of whom both flipped their original votes in order to support the governor’s veto.
The bill would have directed liquor inspectors to check the size of a restaurant's advertised pints when performing regular evaluations, and opponents were concerned over an increased onus on business owners.
The bill is now dead and no further action will be taken.
Mal Leary contributed reporting to this story.
