Some years ago, Maine passed a law to allow fireworks. A bunch of folks went around to all the municipalities trying to get them to enact ordinances to prohibit the sale of those fireworks on a local level. These nice folks pointed out the dangers of “commercial” fireworks, claiming they would cause the end of civilization as we know it.

OK, not really. But having sat through a couple of those presentations, that’s how it sounded to me.

Today, Maine is still here. In fact, in 2024, those who did die on July Fourth due to a fireworks-related incident weren’t in Maine. 

Elsewhere, the good folks handling transportation issues in the state killed a 2023 bill (“An Act to Allow Mini Trucks to Be Operated on Roads in the State”) before it saw the light of day. Why? I’m not certain. None of them has gotten back to me.

If I were to hazard a guess, and I’m gonna have to, ’cause they don’t seem to want to talk to me, I suspect outside influence in the form of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) out of one of my favorite places, the District of Columbia, or close enough to it. And from reading some of the things it has said about mini trucks, the AAMVA seems a little xenophobic about Japanese cars in general.

Is a nongovernmental agency for motor vehicle administrators, overseen by a board of directors that does not have legislative power (just like the hyperbolic fireworks haters), trying to influence law in Maine? At least, that is what I’m guessing. I would love to hear from the committee on its reasoning for killing this mini truck bill.

For those of you who don’t know what a mini truck (Bongo truck, Kei truck) is, here is a short description. It is a small cargo truck, from Asia. These trucks weigh around 1,500 pounds and can carry up to 1,750 pounds, with a bed the size of most standard crew cab pickup trucks. You can get mini dump trucks and lift gate trucks. They are inexpensive to operate, repair and buy. They are perfect for cash-strapped small businesses that could use a cargo truck. If you buy one that is 25 years old – and you can, with remarkably low mileage – it would be allowed under federal regulations. But apparently that isn’t good enough for the Committee on Transportation, which wants Maine to be even more restrictive regarding these small trucks. Yay us!

There are many states that have laws that allow the use of these tiny trucks on the road, most restricting them to 35 to 55 mph speed limits and no highways or interstates. Which is fine; you’re not gonna want to take them on a road trip. But a local trip to Home Depot, Shaw’s, a farmers market, or, in my case, a fabric store, sure! The committee could easily look up the ordinances in other states for guidance, such as the one in Indiana signed into law by then-Gov. Mike Pence in 2016. Or Florida. Or Alabama. There are a bunch of states with laws that allow mini trucks. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

I mean why would you want to solo drive a $30,000 to $74,000 gas-guzzling crew cab pickup truck to Walmart when you can drive an economical mini truck to get your overpriced groceries? I await input from the Committee on Transportation to get their reasoning for killing the bill in committee.