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An Act To Amend the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices' Appointment Process
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §1002, sub-§1-A, ¶F, as amended by PL 2005, c. 295, §1, is further amended to read:
F.  Upon a vacancy during an unexpired term, the term must be filled as provided in this paragraph for the unexpired portion of the term only. 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 who created the vacancy. If the vacancy during an unexpired term was created by 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. If the list of 3 qualified candidates required by this paragraph to be presented to the Governor by the leaders of each party from each body of the Legislature is not produced within 60 days after the vacancy is created, then the leaders of each party from both bodies of the Legislature shall present within the subsequent 15 days a separate list of 3 qualified candidates to the Governor, who shall appoint a candidate from these lists within 30 days of receiving the lists. Nominees appointed pursuant to this paragraph are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over election practices and legislative ethics and to confirmation by the Legislature.
Sec. 2. 1 MRSA §1002, sub-§1-A, ¶G, as amended by PL 2005, c. 295, §1, is further 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. If the list of 3 qualified candidates required by this paragraph to be presented to the Governor by the leaders of each party from each body of the Legislature is not produced within 60 days after the vacancy is created, then the leaders of each party from both bodies of the Legislature shall present within the subsequent 15 days a separate list of 3 qualified candidates to the Governor, who shall appoint a candidate from these lists within 30 days of receiving the lists. Nominees appointed pursuant to this paragraph are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over election practices and legislative ethics and to confirmation by the Legislature.
Effective September 20, 2007