An Act To Extend Term Limits
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1273
House Amendment HA_C_H597 (House)

HOUSE AMENDMENT ·6 to H.P. 945, L.D. 1273, Bill, "An Act 
To Extend Term Limits" 
Amend the bill in section 1 in that part designated "§553." 
by striking out all of subsections 3 to 6 and the last indented 
paragraph (page 1, lines 18 to 31 in L.D.) and inserting in their 
place the following: 
'3. 
Secretary of State. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Secretary of State. 
4. 
Treasurer of State. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Treasurer of State. 
5. 
Attorney General. 
A person may not serve more than 4 
consecutive terms as Attorney General. 
6. 
State Auditor. 
A person may not serve more than 2 
consecutive terms as State Auditor. 
~Ri6--se<l-t-i-QU--aFFlie6 Subsections 3 to 6 apply to terms of 
office that begin on or after December 3, 1996 and subsections 1 
and 2 apply to terms of office that begin on or after December 1, 
2004. I 
Further amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and 
inserting in its place the following: 
'Sec. 2. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at statewide 
election; form of question; effective date. 
This Act takes effect when 
approved only for the purpose of permitting its submission to the 
legal voters of the State at a statewide election held on the 
Tuesday following the first Monday of November following passage 
of this Act. 
The municipal officers of this State shall notify 
the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations 
to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a general 
election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by 
voting on the following question: 
Page l-LRll06(13) 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
:;.) tri) ~~/ 
'~(~< -. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ,~ to H.P. 945, L.D. 1273 
"Do you favor 
from 
years 
extension does 
are precluded 
election?" 
extending term limits for state Legislators 
to 12 years, with the exception that this 
not apply to those current officeholders who 
from running for that office in the 
2004 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall 
vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a 
cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below 
the word "Yes" or "No." 
The ballots must be received, sorted, 
counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings 
and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as 
votes for members of the Legislature. 
The Governor shall review 
the returns and, if it appears that a majority of the legal votes 
are cast in favor of the Act, the Governor shall proclaim that 
fact without delay, and the Act takes effect 30 days after the 
date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each 
city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this 
Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
Sec. 3. Application. 
Any person who was elected to serve in 
the 118th Legislature and who is serving in that same elective 
office without a break during the 121st Legislature is ineligible 
to run for that same office in 2004. 
Any person who was elected 
to 
office 
after 
the 
118th 
Legislature 
is 
subject 
to 
the 
6-consecutive-term limit imposed by this Act.' 
SUMMARY 
Under this amendment, the term limits in current law do not 
change for the Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Attorney 
General 
and 
State 
Auditor 
elected 
or 
reelected 
to 
office 
beginning with the l22nd Legislature. 
This amendment clarifies that the extension of term limits 
proposed in the bill, 
as 
amended, 
does 
not apply to 
those 
Legislators 
who 
were elected to their offices in the ll8th 
Legislature and who are still serving in those offices. 
The 
effect of this is to continue the ineligibility of any Legislator 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT "G' to H.P. 945, L.D. 1213 
who would be unable to run for that same office in 2004 under the 
current law. 
This amendment also changes the referendum question 
to reflect this limitation. 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Representati 
TOWN: 
Old 
HOUSE AMENDMENT