Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1345
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: CAMPBELL, SULLIV AN, CLARK, CONNOR, STRANG BURGESS, TUTTLE, BOWMAN, BRANNIGAN, BRYANT, DAVIS

.FIRS'!' REGULAR SESSION-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 1345 
H.P.946 
House of Representatives, March 31, 2009 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of . 
Maine To Increase the Required Number of Signatures for a Direct 
Initiative or a People's Veto and To Limit a Direct Initiative to One 
Subject 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative CAMPBELL of Newfield. 
Cosponsored by Senator SULLIV AN of York and 
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111· 77!1lC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CLARK of Millinocket, CONNOR of Kennebunk, STRANG BURGESS of 
Cumberland, TUTTLE of Sanford, Senators: BOWMAN of York, BRANNIGAN of 
Cumberland, BRYANT of Oxford, DAVIS of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
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, Pt. Third, §17, sub-§l is amended to read: 
1. Petition procedure; petition for people's veto. Upon written petition of 
electors, the number of which shall not be less than +G-% 20% of the total vote for 
Governor cast in the last gubernatorial election preceding the filing of such petition, 
and addressed to the Governor arid filed in the office of the Secretary of State by the 
hour of 5:00 p.m., on or before the 90th day after the recess of the Legislature, or if 
such 90th day is a Saturday, a Sunday, or a legal holiday, by the hour of 5 :00 p.m., on 
the preceding day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday, or a legal holiday, requesting 
that one or more Acts, bills, resolves or resolutions, or part or parts thereof, passed by 
the Legislature but not then in effect by reason of the provisions of the preceding 
section, be referred to the people, such Acts, bills, resolves, or resolutions or part or 
parts thereof as are specified in such petition shall not take effect until 30 days after 
the Governor shall have announced by public proclamation that the same have been 
ratified by a majority ofthe electors voting thereon at a statewide or general election. 
Constitution, Art IV, Pt. Third, §18, sub-§l, 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 50th day after the 
date of convening of the Legislature in first regular session or on or before the 25th 
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. A measure may contain only one subject and 
matters directly connected with that subject. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Third, §18, sub-§2, as amended by CR 2005, c. 
2, is further amended to read: 
2. Referral to electors unless enacted by the Legislature without change; 
number of signatures necessary on direct initiative petitions; dating signatures 
on petitions; competing measures. For any measure thus proposed by electors, the 
number of signatures shall not be less than W-% 20% of the total vote for Governor 
cast in the last gubernatorial election preceding the filing of such petition. The date 
each signature was made shall be written next to the signature on· the petition. A 
signature is not valid if it is dated more than one year prior to the date that the 
petition was filed in the office of the Secretary of State. The measure thus proposed, 
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unless enacted without change by the Legislature at the session at which it is 
presented, shall be submitted to the electors together with any amended form, 
substitute, or recommendation of the Legislature, and in such manner that the people 
can choose between the competing measures or rej ect both. 
When there are 
competing bills and neither receives a majority of the votes given for or against both, 
the one receiving the most votes shall at the next statewide election to be held not less 
than 60 days after the first vote thereon be submitted by itself if it receives more than 
1/3 of the votes given for and against both. If the measure initiated is enacted by the 
Legislature without change, it shall not go to a referendum vote unless in pursuance 
of a demand made in accordance with the preceding section. The Legislature may 
order a special election on any measure that is subject to a vote of the people. 
; 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 manner prescribed by 
law for holding a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month 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 increase the number of 
signatures that a petitioner must gather for a people's veto or a direct initiative 
and to limit a direct initiative to one subj ect?" 
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. 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 
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 to amend the Constitution of Maine to increase the 
number of signatures that a petitioner must gather for a people's veto or a direct 
initiative from not less than 10% of the total vote for Governor cast in the last 
gubernatorial election to not less than 20% of the total vote for Governor cast in the 
last gubernatorial election. It also limits a direct initiative to one subject.