PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 29, 2024
The town of Bar Harbor can continue to limit the number of cruise ship passengers allowed to come ashore there on a single day, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Bar Harbor voters passed a referendum in 2022barring more than 1,000 cruise ship passengers a day from disembarking in town over concerns about tourists impacting the quality of life for residents. But a group of local business owners sued the town, arguing the visitation cap rendered the town “an unviable destination port-of-call” that was unconstitutional and would hurt the local economy. U.S. District Judge Lance Walker ruled that Bar Harbor had home rule authority granted by the state, which allows cities and towns to pass and enforce local rules that don’t violate state law or the U.S. Constitution.