Carey puts lawsuit on hold, waits for Legislature

Rumford attorney Seth Carey has put his lawsuit against several Maine shopping establishments on hold, he said Tuesday.

Carey sued Wal-Mart and Hannaford, along with several malls and cities to allow petitioners on private properties to gather signatures.

Carey led a citizen’s petition to allow a casino in Oxford County, and signature gatherers had a hard time accessing the public because they weren’t allowed to work in these establishments, dubbed “the new town square.

The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee today resumed work on a bill with the same goal. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jon Hinck, D-Portland, was put on hold pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

Hinck said it is also difficult for candidates to gather signatures.

 Sen. Barry Hobbins, D-Saco and committee chairman, received a possible amendment to the bill from the International Association of Shopping Centers before the lawsuit was filed.

After Carey announced the lawsuit, however, the association backed away from any possible compromise and outright opposed the concept, Hobbins said.

“For whatever reason they just decided to back away from a red-lined, watered down version,” Hobbins said Tuesday.

Hobbins said proponents may bring the association’s version of the bill up, to see if it is acceptable to the opposition. He expects a divided report on the bill out of committee.

Many oppose the bill fearing it invades the privacy of those trying to shop. Hinck said the committee will set time-place-manner restrictions so petitioners wouldn’t be allowed to be intrusive.

Carey said he will wait to see what the Legislature decides before he takes his lawsuit back up.