Maine
Shredding the Constitution Declared” Emergency in Maine”: State Rep”s anti-initiative legislation is facially unconstitutional
Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national ballot initiative rights group, in an open letter called on Maine State Representative Mark Bryant (D) to withdraw his recently introduced “emergency” legislation, LD 28, which would unconstitutionally restrict citizen participation in ballot initiatives in the state.
The Passamaquoddy Indian tribe’s proposal to build a racetrack-casino in eastern Maine, already turned back by three gubernatorial vetoes in two years, was rejected by voters in Tuesday’s referendum.
Common Cause Maine and the League of Women Voters of Maine were joined today by several community leaders to urge voters to vote yes on ballot measure 5. This measure would extend Maine’s existing term limits from the current four terms to six terms in a row that legislators could serve the public.
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights will be on the ballot in November. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court cleared the way for TABOR on Thursday when it overturned a Superior Court ruling that found the secretary of state erred when he accepted signed petitions beyond a deadline set by the Legislature. “The question of the statute’s consistency with the [c]onstitution is at the heart of this case,” wrote Chief Justice Leigh Ingalls Saufley for the five-judge majority.
The state Senate approved new limits Wednesday on the ability of towns and their residents to fight unwanted development projects. In a floor fight lead by Lewiston state Sen. Peggy Rotundo, a Democrat, and Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, opponents tried to stop the legislation and then to amend it to make it less restrictive. While they were unable to stop the bill, a compromise reached with the bill’s supporters did extend the amount of time that municipalities and residents have to react to development proposals.