KENNEBEC JOURNAL • April 3, 2022
Environmentalists have launched a campaign to change Maine’s Constitution. Proponents say the the Pine Tree Amendment before the full Legislature would require lawmakers to consider the environmental impacts, based on scientific evidence, before voting on policy proposals, while also giving residents the legal standing to challenge any law, policy or permit approval that would have adverse environmental impacts. But, as with the constitutional right to food sovereignty approved by Maine voters last year and a right-to-privacy amendment that also is before the Legislature, opponents argue that the amendment is so broad that it would lead to unnecessary litigation and unintended consequences.