PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 6, 2022
Republican state legislators on Tuesday afternoon said they have introduced a bill that would strip tax benefits for businesses – such as Whole Foods Market – that boycott Maine lobster over evaluations of its environmental sustainability. Under the legislation, businesses that use third-party certifications to justify a ban, boycott or restriction of legally harvested Maine-based goods would be prohibited from participating in the state’s Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement and Business Equipment Tax Exemption Programs. The bill also would ban the state from any contracts with such businesses.