Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0956
Committee: Natural Resources
Sponsors: ADAMS, BERRY, EATON, HINCK, PINGREE, BARTLETT

Legislative Document 
No. 956 
H.P.658 
House of Representatives, March 10,2009 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of . 
Maine To Provide Constitutional Protection to the Funds Generated 
by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative 
Reference to the Committee on Natural Resources suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative ADAMS of Portland. 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, EATON of Sullivan, HINCK of 
Portland,. Speaker PINGREE of North Haven, Senator: BARTLETT of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled p;:tpcr 
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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. IX, §24 is enacted to read: 
Section 24. Revenues generated by regional greenhouse gas initiative. All 
revenues derived from the sale of carbon dioxide allowances and any forward 
capacity market or other capacity payments from the regional transmission. 
organization that may be attributable to projects funded by the energy and carbon 
savings trust must be expended solely to support the goals and implementation of the 
carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program. The trust fund may not be used for any other 
purpose, no efforts may be made to reduce, impair, postpone or terminate the amount 
of revenues to be deposited in the fund, and money in the trust fund is considered to 
be held in trust for the purposes of benefiting consumers. 
; 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 ensure that all revenues 
derived from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative be expended solely to 
support the goals and implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas 
Initiative?" 
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 
arid copies of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
SUMMARY 
This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to ensure that all 
revenues derived from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative be expended solely to 
support the goals and implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 
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