| HP0262 LD 329 |
First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature |
LR 677 Item 1 |
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| Bill Tracking, Additional Documents | Chamber Status | ||
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Elect State Senators by County
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. IV, Pt. Second, §1 is amended to read:
Section 1. Number of Senators. The Senate shall consist of an odd number of Senators, not less than 31 nor more than 35, except that on or after December 3, 2014, the Senate shall consist of 32 Senators, elected at the same time and for the same term as Representatives by the qualified electors of the districts into which the State shall be from time to time divided.
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §2, first ¶ is amended to read:
Section 2. Submission of reapportionment plan to Secretary of Senate; Legislature's action on commission's plan; division of State into senatorial districts; division by Supreme Judicial Court. The Legislature which shall convene in the year 1983 and every tenth year thereafter 2013 shall cause reapportion the State to be divided into districts for the choice of a Senator from each district, using the same method as provided in Article IV, Part First, Section 2 for apportionment of Representative Districts so that the senatorial districts coincide with the counties of the State. The voters of each county shall vote for 2 Senators.
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 and copies of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
SUMMARY
This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to reduce the size of the Senate from no more than 35 members to 32 members as a result of reapportioning to 2 Senators per county. The resolution also requires the redrawing of district lines, to occur during the regularly scheduled redistricting following the decennial census. The redistricting will be done in 2013.