Whereas, serious financial harm will occur to dairy farmers due to rapidly declining prices for their milk before the 90 days have passed; and

Whereas, a delay in providing these payments could cause irreparable harm to the dairy industry and result in the loss of additional dairy farms and agriculture-related businesses, which will have significant adverse effects on the economy of rural and inland Maine, jeopardize maintenance of valuable open space and compound existing problems of sprawl; and

Whereas, this legislation will provide temporary financial assistance for dairy farmers while the Legislature deliberates on a proposal to provide a long-term response to inadequate and unpredictable milk prices; 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. 7 MRSA §3153-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 120, §2, is amended to read:

§3153-A. Dairy stabilization subsidy

If the base price of milk falls below $16.94 per hundredweight in any month beginning September 1, 2003 and ending December 31, 2003 May 31, 2004, the administrator of the Maine Milk Pool shall distribute to Maine milk producers on a per hundredweight basis 55% 40% for the months of January to May 2004 of the difference between $16.94 per hundredweight and the base price of milk per hundredweight. The amount distributed for milk produced during the period between September 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003 January 1, 2004 and May 31, 2004 may not exceed $3,000,000 $2,100,000. The Governor shall provide these funds to the Maine milk pool administrator for distribution to Maine milk producers, as provided for in this section, during the months of October 2003 to January June 2004. The base price of milk is the Suffolk County, Massachusetts Class I price of milk as determined for each month by the Northeast Market Administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Governor shall seek