Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1530
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: DOW

Legislative Document 
No. 1530 
S.P.553 
March 20, 2007 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 
Maine To Reduce the Size of the Legislature to 140 Members 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator DOW of Lincoln. 
JOY 1. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Constitutional amendment. Resolved: 
Two thirds of each branch of the 
Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be 
proposed: 
Constitution, Art. IV, Part First, §2 is amended to read: 
Section 2. Number of Representatives; biennial terms; division of the State into 
districts for House of Representatives. The House of Representatives shall consist of 
members, except that, for the Legislature that convenes in 2015 and thereaft~l~ 1he 
House of Representatives shall consist of 1 Q~mem_bers, to be elected by the qualified 
electors, and hold their office 2 years from the day next preceding the first Wednesday in 
December following the general election. The Legislature which convenes in +9~ ~O 15 
and every 10th year thereafter shall cause the State to be divided into districts for the 
choice of one Representative for each district, using the same method'1"-Jll~~ded ill 
Article IV. Part Second, Section 2 for a1212Qrtionm~nt of Senatorial Districts, e~~JJh~! 
each Senatorial District must be divided into 3 R~Qrcsentative Distri~t~. +Re-Httmber of 
Representatives shall be divided inffi.-t1=te---ntl-ffi00f.-eHHhabitants--B-f-the Stale exc lusive of 
foreigners not naturalized according to the latest Federal Decennial CensU:,-Br a State 
Census previously ordered by the Le~s-lature to coiooi-de-with the Fed;Hal-~~ 
Gensus, to determine a mean population figure for.--ea€H-r{epresenffittve--l~4-:-l:.a{.~ 
Representative District shall be formed of contiguous--attt:l-€-empact territory and shall 
cross political subdivision lines the least number of times necessary to establish as nearly 
as practicable equally populated districts. \Vhenever the population of a muni8paitty 
entitles it to more than one district, all ',>,hole districts shall be drawn v. ithin mll~ 
boundaries. Any popUlation remainder within the-municipality shall be included in a 
district with contiguous territory and shall be kept inffi€t.:. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Part Second, §1 is amended to read: 
Section 1. Number of Senators. The Senate shall consist of an odd number of 
Senators, not less than 31 nor more than 35, except that, for the Legislature that convenes 
in 2015 and thereafter, the Senate shall consist of 35 members, elected at the same time 
and for the same term as Representatives by the qualified electors of the districts into 
which the State shall be from time to time divided. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Part Second, §2, first ~ is amended to read: 
Section 2. 
Submission of reapportionment plan to Secretary of Senate; 
Legislature's action on commission's plan; division of State into Senatorial Districts; 
division by Supreme Judicial Court. The Legislature which shall convene in the year 
1983 and every 10th year thereafter shall cause the State to be divided into districts for 
the choice of a Senator from each district, using the same method as provided in Article 
IV, Part First, Section 2 for apportionment of Representative Districts, except that the 
Legislature that convenes in the year 2013 and every 10th year thereafter shall cause the 
State to be divided into districts for the choice of Senator from each district in accordance 
with subsection 1. 
Page I -123LRI7S3(OI)-1 
1. Division of State into Senatorial Districts beginning in the year 2013. The 
number of Senators must be divided into the number of inhabitants of the State, exclusive 
of foreigners not naturalized according to the latest Federal Decennial Census or a State 
Census previously ordered by the Legislature to coincide with the Federal Decennial 
Census, to determine a mean population figure for each Senatorial District. 
Each 
Senatorial District must be formed of contiguous and compact territory and must cross 
political subdivision lines the least number of times necessary to establish as nearly as 
practicable equally populated districts. 
Whene\~er the population of a municipality 
entitles it to more than one district, all ~vh()~distrjcts must be drawn within municipal 
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houndaries. AnY-IJ5mulation remainder within the municipality must be included in a 
district with contiguous territory and must be kept intact. 
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; and be it further 
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 mannel prescribed by law for 
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holding a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November 
folluwing the passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment 
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proposed ill this resolution by voting UpOll the 101lO\\ ing question: 
"Do you f,nor amending the Constitution of Maine to reduce the siLe orthe House of 
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Representatives from 15] members 10 105 memb,.:rs and to limit the siz(' of the 
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Senate to 35 members. effective in the year 20 1ST 
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 \vord "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. 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 Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation; and be it 
further 
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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 a constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the House 
of Representatives from 151 members to 105 members and to establish the size of the 
Senate at 35 members. 
Reduction in the size of the House of Representatives and 
freezing the size of the Senate take effect in 2015.