Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0939
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: BOWLES, WESTON, GERZOFSKY, MILLS, SA VIELLO, PLOWMAN, WOODCOCK

Legislative Document 
No. 939 
H.P.658 
House of Representatives, February 22,2005 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 
Maine To Preserve the Integrity of the Citizen-initiated Petition 
Process 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BOWLES of Sanford. 
Cosponsored by Senator WESTON of Waldo and 
/7~ 
/11.71!d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, MILLS of Fannington, SA VIELLO of Wilton. 
SHERMAN of Hodgdon, Senators: PLOWMAN of Penobscot, WOODCOCK of Franklin. 
Constitutional amendment. 
Resolved: 
Two 
thirds 
branch 
of 
the 
Legislature 
concurr ing, 
that 
the 
amendment to the Constitution of Maine be proposed: 
of 
each 
following 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Third, §18, sub-§l-A is enacted to read: 
I-A. 
Initiative 
that 
proposes 
expenditure 
of 
state 
revenues. 
An initiative proposed to the Legislature under this 
section that proposes an expenditure of state revenues must: 
A. 
Include 
a 
revenue 
source 
sufficient 
to 
fund 
the 
expenditure; 
B. 
Establish a 
new fund designed to sufficiently finance 
the expenditure; or 
C • 
I dent i fy 
red uc t i ons,--~1",,' 
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sufficient to offset the expenditure. 
and be it further 
2 
Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective 
date. Resolved: 
That 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 
statewide election, at a 
statewide election, on the Tuesday 
following the first Monday of November following the passage of 
this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment 
proposed in this resolution by voting upon the following question: 
"Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require 
that citizen initiatives that require state expenditures 
include either a new revenue source to fund the expenditure 
or identify reductions in existing state programs sufficient 
to offset the new expenditure?" 
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 the 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 amendment, the Governor shall proclaim 
that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of the 
Page l-LR1261(1) 
Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation; and be it 
further 
Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: 
That 
the 
Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town 
and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this resolution 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
SUMMARY 
This resolution proposes amending the Constitution of Maine 
to 
require 
that 
citizen 
initiatives 
that 
require 
state 
expenditures include either a 
new revenue source to fund the 
expenditure or identify reductions in existing state programs 
sufficient to offset the new expenditure.