Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1145
Committee Amendment CA_A_H176 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 789, L.D. 1145, "RESOLUTION, 
Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Amend the Time Frame for 
Towns To CertifY Citizen Initiative and People's Veto Signatures" 
Amend the resolution by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Amend 
the Time Frame for Towns To Certify Citizen Initiative Signatures' 
Amend the resolution by striking out all of the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs (page I, lines 
to 45 and page 2, lines I to lOin L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Third, §18, sub-§1, as amended by CR 2005, c. 2, is 
further amended to read: 
1. 
Petition procedure. 
The electors may propose to the Legislature for its 
consideration any bill, resolve or resolution, including bills to amend or repeal emergency 
legislation but not an amendment of the State Constitution, by written petition addressed 
to the Legislature or to either branch thereof and filed in the office of the Secretary of 
State by the hour of 5:00 p.m., on or before the.wth 60th day after the date of convening 
of the Legislature in first regular session or on or before the ~ 
35th day after the date of 
convening of the Legislature in second regular session, except that the written petition 
may not be filed in the office of the Secretary of State later than 18 months after the date 
the petition form was furnished or approved by the Secretary of State. If the applicable 
deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period runs until the hour of 
5:00 p.m., of the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Third, §20, as amended by CR 2005, c. 2, is further 
amended to read: . 
Section 20. 
Meaning of words "electors," "people," "recess of 
Legislature," "statewide election," "measure," "circulator," "written 
petition" and "day" or "days"; written petitions for people's veto; written 
petitions for direct initiative. As used in any of the 3 preceding sections or in this 
section the words "electors" and "people" mean the electors of the State qualified to vote 
Page I - 124LR1563(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMlITEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 789, L.D. 1145 
for Governor; "recess of the Legislature" means the adjournment without day of a session 
of the Legislature; "statewide election" means any election held throughout the State on a 
particular day; "measure" means an Act, bill, resolve or resolution proposed by the 
people, or 2 or more such, or part or parts of such, as the case may be; "circulator" means 
a person who solicits signatures for written petitions, and who must be a resident of this 
State and whose name must appear on the voting list of the city, town or plantation of the 
circulator's residence as qualified to vote for Governor; "written petition" means one or 
more petitions written ,or printed, or partly written and partly printed, with the original 
signatures of the petitioners attached, verified as to the authenticity of the signatures by 
the oath of the circulator that all of the signatures to the petition were made in the 
presence of the circulator and that to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief 
each signature is the signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and 
accompanied by the certificate of the official authorized by law to maintain the voting list 
or to certify signatures on petitions for voters on the voting list of the city, town or 
plantation in which the petitioners reside that their names appear on the voting list of the 
city, town or plantation of the official as qualified to vote for Governor. As used in this 
section the words "day" or "days" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal 
holiday. . The oath of the circulator must be sworn to in the presence of a person 
authorized by law to administer oaths. Written petitions for a people's veto pursuant to 
Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 must be submitted to the appropriate officials of cities, 
towns or plantations, or state election officials as authorized by law, for determination of 
whether the petitioners are qualified voters by the hour of 5:00 p.m., on the &th 3rd day 
before the petition must be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, or, if SUGh 5th day 
is a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday, by 5:00 p.m., on the ne)<1 day ',."hiGh is not a 
Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday. Written petitions for a direct initiative pursuant to 
Article IV, Part Third, Section 18 must be submitted to the appropriate officials of cities, 
towns or plantations, or state election officials as authorized by law, for determination of 
whether the petitioners are qualified voters by the hour of 5:00 p.m., on the -Wth 12th day 
before the petition must be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, or, if SUGh lOth day 
is a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday, by 5:00 p.m., on the neKt day 'NhiGh is not a 
Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday. Such officials must complete the certification of 
only those petitions submitted by these deadlines and must return them to the circulators 
or their agents within 2 days for a petition for a people's veto and within $- lQ days for a 
petition for a direct initiative , Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays Q)wepted, of the 
date on which such petitions were submitted to them. Signatures on petitions not 
submitted to the appropriate local or state officials by these deadlines may not be 
certified. The petition shall set forth the full text of the measure requested or proposed. 
Petition forms shall be furnished or approved by the Secretary of State upon written 
application signed and notarized and submitted to the office of the Secretary of State by a 
resident of this State whose name must appear on the voting list of the city, town or 
plantation of that resident as qualified to vote for Governor. The full text of a measure 
submitted to a vote of the people under the provisions of the Constitution need not be 
printed on the official ballots, but, until otherwise provided by the Legislature, the 
Secretary of State shall prepare the ballots in such form as to present the question or 
questions concisely and intelligibly.' 
Amend the resolution by striking out all of the question (page 2, lines 18 to 21 in 
L.D.) and inserting the following: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "\1" to H.P. 789, L.D. 1145 
, "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to increase the amount of time 
that local officials have to certify the signatures on direct initiative petitions?" , 
SUMMARY 
The resolution proposed to amend the Constitution of Maine to increase the amount 
of time provided to officials of cities, towns and plantations to certify that signatures on 
petitions for a direct initiative or people's veto appear on voting lists for those cities, 
towns and plantations. This amendment removes the increase with respect to people's 
vetoes and clarifies the petition process generally, including clarifying that "day" or 
"days" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. It adds 10 days to 
the period of time before the written petitions for a direct initiative are due to the 
Secretary of State's office so that citizens have the same amount of time to collect 
signatures as they do currently. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04116/09 MaC!. 
LD 1145 
LR 1563(02) 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Amend the Time Frame 
for Towns To Certify Citizen Initiative and People's Veto Signatures 
Referendum Costs 
. Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,~" 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
MonthlY ear 
Election Type 
Question 
Nov-09 
General 
Referendum 
Length 
Standard 
The Secretary of State's budget includes sufficient funds to accommodate one ballot of average length for the general 
election in November. If the number or size of the referendum questions requires production and delivery of a second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of$107,250 may be required. 
LR1563(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I 
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