Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period in order to ensure that a nomination to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to fill a vacancy created by an expired term is subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over legal affairs and to confirmation by the Legislature; 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. 1 MRSA §1002, sub-§1-A, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 470, §2, is amended to read:

G. Upon a vacancy created by an expired term, the vacancy must be filled as provided in this paragraph. The nominee must be appointed by the Governor from a list of 3 qualified candidates provided by the leader of the party from the body of the Legislature that suggested the appointee whose term expired. When a vacancy is created by an expired term of the commission member who was appointed from the list of candidates presented to the Governor by the leaders of each party of each body of the Legislature jointly, the nominee must be appointed from a list of 3 qualified candidates provided jointly by the leaders of each party of each body of the Legislature. Nominees appointed pursuant to this paragraph are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over legal affairs and to confirmation by the Legislature.

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

SUMMARY

This bill provides that a nominee to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices appointed by the Governor to fill a vacancy created by an expired term is subject