LD 310
pg. 2
Page 1 of 3 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Reduce the S... Page 3 of 3
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LR 523
Item 1

 
State into Senatorial Districts; division by Supreme Judicial
Court. The Legislature which shall convene in the year 1983
2003 and every 10th year thereafter shall cause 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.
The number of Senators must be divided into the number of
inhabitants of the State, exclusive of foreigners not
naturalized according to the latest Federal Decennial Census or
a State Census previously ordered by the Legislature to coincide
with the Federal Decennial Census, to determine a mean
population figure for each Senatorial District.__Each Senatorial
District must be formed of contiguous and compact territory and
must cross political subdivision lines the least number of times
necessary to establish as nearly as practicable equally
populated districts.__Whenever the population of a municipality
entitles it to more than one district, all whole districts must
be drawn within municipal boundaries.__Any population remainder
within the municipality must be included in a district with
contiguous territory and must be kept intact.

 
; and be it
further

 
Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date. Resolved: That
the municipal officers of this State shall notify the
inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations
to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a
statewide election, at a statewide election, on the Tuesday
following the first Monday of November following the passage
of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the
amendment proposed in this resolution by voting upon the
following question:

 
"Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to reduce
the size of the House of Representatives from 151 members
to 99 members and to limit the size of the Senate from no
more than 35 members to 33 members, effective in the year
2005?"

 
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 and, 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 on the date
of the proclamation; and be it further


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