An Act To Allow School Budget Validation Referenda To Be Held on a Saturday.
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0698
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1486

Legislative Document 
No~ 698 
H.P.481 
House of Representatives, Febmary 24,2009 
An Act To Allow School Budget Validation Referenda To Be Held 
on a Saturday. 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented 1;>y Representative WEAVER ofY ork. . 
,;r;~ 
/J7.1l!ILC~( 
MILLICENTM. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored'by Representatives: CUSHING of Hampden, EDGECOMB of Caribou, HAYES 
of Buckfield"HILL of York, KNIGHT of Livennore Falls,LANGLEY of EllswOlih, 
PINKHAM of Lexington Township, RUSSELL of Portland. 
Printr:!d on recycled paper 
.Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, current law prohibits a rriunicipality from conducting a school budget 
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validation referendum on a Saturday; and 
Whereas, many municipalities schedule and hold referendum questions on a 
Saturday as a matter of custom or historical tradition; and 
Whereas, the residents of a municipality and their elected leaders are most qualified 
to determine which day of the week may be best suited for holding any referendum; and 
Whereas, in some cases the provisions of a municipal chmier may effectively 
require a municipal referendum to be conducted on a Saturday; and 
Whereas, the 2009 school budget validation referenda around the State will be 
conducted prior to the adjournment of this Legislature; and 
. 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, the~e facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislatioh as 
. 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People oftlle State of Maine as follows: 
. Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §1486, sub-:§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 668, §19, IS 
further amended to read: 
2. Validation referendum procedures. The budget validation referendum must be 
held on or before the 14th calendar day followi~g the scheduled date of the regional 
school unit budget meeting. The referendum may not be held on a Saturday, Sunday or 
legal holiday. The vote at referendum is for the purpose of approving or rejecting the 
total regionill school unit budget approved at the regional school unit budget meeting. 
The regional school unit board shall provide printed information to be displayed at 
polling places to assist voters "in voting. That information is limited to the total amounts 
proposed by the regional school unit board for each cost center summary budget category 
article, the amount approved at the regional school unit budget meeting, a summary of the 
total authorized expenditures and, if applicable because of action on an article under 
section 15690, subsection 3, paragraph A, a statement that the amount approved at the 
regional school unit budget meeting includes locally raised funds that exceed the 
maximum state and local spending target pursuant to section 15671-A, subsection 5. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
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SUMMARY 
This bill allows school budget validation referendum votes for regional 'school units 
. to be held on Saturday_