| | Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not become | effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as | emergencies; and |
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| | Whereas, heating oil prices are expected to rise more than 30% | this winter due to supply restrictions imposed by the | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, and | increased demand for oil by Asian and South American economies; | and |
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| | Whereas, the United States Department of Commerce, National | Weather Service, has predicted that the winter of 1999-2000 will | be colder in the northeastern portion of the United States than | was the case during the previous 2 winters; and |
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| | Whereas, the federal Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program, | LIHEAP, that provides financial assistance to eligible low-income | households to assist in paying winter heating costs will provide | Maine with virtually the same level of funding for the winter of | 1999-2000 as was provided during the winters of 1997-98 and 1998- | 99; and |
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| | Whereas, a colder winter in 1999-2000 will cause low-income | households receiving LIHEAP benefits that burn fuel oil for their | heat to need greater amounts of oil to maintain an indoor | temperature comparable to last winter; and |
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| | Whereas, a colder winter will cause more low-income households | to apply for LIHEAP assistance this winter than applied during | the winter of 1998-99; and |
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| | Whereas, the available LIHEAP funding for Maine is likely to be | insufficient to provide benefits to all eligible applicants | without emergency supplementary funding from the State during the | winter heating season, leaving many low-income Maine families at | risk of hypothermia and the health and safety consequences of | inadequate heat; and |
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| | 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, |
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the | General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act. |
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