Whereas, the current method of conducting votes by union school committees that is weighted in proportion to the general population of the towns in the school union sometimes results in unfairness; and

Whereas, weighting school union voting in proportion to the school enrollment of the towns in a school union would result in a more equitable method of voting; and

Whereas, it is necessary to immediately amend the voting process for school unions to correct this inequity as soon as possible; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §1902, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 693, §§5 and 8, is amended to read:

2. Method of voting. The method of voting shall be is as follows.

A. The votes of the individual members of the union committee shall must be cast on a weighted basis in proportion to the population average annual student count for the preceding year of the unit represented as compared with the total population average annual student count for the preceding year of the units comprising the union committee.

B. To become effective, all actions of the union committee shall must be approved by a vote of units representing more than 1/2 of the population comprising average annual student count of all the units which that make up the union committee.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.