An Act To Repeal the Maine Clean Election Act and Direct the Savings To Be Used for the State's Contribution toward the Costs of Education Funding
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1290
Committee Amendment CA_A_S266 (Senate)

FmST REGULAR SESSION 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 465, L.D. 1290, Bill, "An Act To 
Repeal the Maine Clean Election Act and Direct the Savings To Be Used for the State's 
Contribution toward the Costs of Education Funding" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
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'An Act To Repeal the Maine Clean Election Act Subject To Approval by the Voters 
of the State' 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'PART A' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 18 and 19 and inserting the following: 
'PARTB 
Sec. B-1. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at election; form 
of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State 
at a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act. 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, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor repealing the Maine Clean Election Act?" 
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 a 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 a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 465, L.D. 1290 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. ' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, removes the section 
of the bill that states that money in the Maine Clean Election Fund must be used to 
support education funding. It also makes the repeal of the Maine Clean Election Act 
contingent upon approval of the voters of the State by referendum. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/12/15 
.;:Jh"CZC 
LD 1290 
LR 1074(02) 
An Act To Repeal the Maine Clean Election Act and Direct the Savings To Be Used for the State's 
Contribution toward the Costs of Education Funding 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''A'(S-;:)(PW 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium referendum cost - General Fund 
Contingent current biennium revenue increase - General Fund 
Contingent current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Contingent current biennium cost decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Contingent CUlTent biennium revenue decrease - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Referendum Costs 
MonthlY ear 
Election Type 
Question 
Length 
Nov-15 
General 
Referendum 
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 ofa second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of$107,250 may be required. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
If approved by the voters in a statewide referendum, the Maine Clean Election Act would be repealed. Repeal would 
increase General Fund revenue by $2,000,000 annually from eliminating the annual transfer from the General Fund to 
the Maine Clean Election Fund (MCEF) at the Commission on Govenunental Ethics and Election Practices 
(Commission). The MCEF revenue from collecting qualifying contributions from candidates and from receiving $3 
voluntary contributions from taxpayers would also be eliminated. Other Special Revenue Funds allocations to the 
Commission would be eliminated and payments to candidates would be stopped. One Registration and Reporting 
Officer position would be eliminated and 5 positions would need to be moved to the General Fund. These 5 positions 
relate to functions that would continue after repeal and General Fund appropriations would be required. 
To the extent that taxpayers who owe money to the State at the end of the tax year currently elect to contribute $3 to 
the Maine Clean Election Fund through the income tax f01111 checkoff, General Fund and Local Govemment Fund 
revenue is reduced. This reduction would disappear. The amount received annually by this checkoff is approximately 
$130,000. 
LRI074(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1