LD 1536
pg. 4
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LR 1756
Item 1

 
the State to assume the responsibility for all inmates who would
have otherwise been housed in a jail operated by a county contained
in the county district and authorize the levy of an additional 1%
sales and use tax.

 
2. Voter-initiated termination of county jails and imposition
of sales and use tax. Ten percent of the voters in a county
district may petition to require the State to assume the
responsibility for all inmates who would have otherwise been
housed in a jail operated by a county contained in a county
district and authorize the levy of an additional 1% sales and use
tax. The petitions must be prepared by the Secretary of State
and require the same safeguards as petitions filed under the
Constitution of Maine, Article 4, Part Third.

 
3. Election to determine responsibility for jails in county
district. Once the Secretary of State receives a request from
the county district commissioners pursuant to subsection 1 or
verifies a valid petition pursuant to subsection 2 calling for
the State to assume jail services, the Secretary of State shall
prepare the ballots and have the question included on the ballot
at the next general election. The question put to the voters must
be: "Shall the (name of county district) require the State to
assume full jail services for this county district and authorize
the State to raise the sales and use tax in this district by 1%
to provide for the cost of the State's assuming the county
district's jail services?"

 
4. Termination of county jail. If a majority of the voters
in a county district vote in favor of the State's assuming
control over every county jail in the county district, the State
shall assume responsibility by July 1 following the vote. The
State shall impose an additional 1% sales and use tax in each
county district in which the State assumes responsibility for a
jail within that county district. The revenue from the
additional 1% sales and use tax must be used to defray the costs
of the Department of Corrections.

 
Sec. 4. Combined voter-initiated petition. Notwithstanding the provisions
of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 19 and section
3 of this Act, the voters in a proposed county district may
include both the issue of approval of the county district and
transfer of jail responsibility to the State in one petition as
long as the petition meets the other requirements of Title 30-A,
section 1962, subsection 1, paragraph B. If a petition initiated
pursuant to this section is signed by at least 10% of the voters
in the proposed county district, the Secretary of State shall
prepare the ballots and have the question included on the ballot
at the next general election. The question put to the voters must
be: "Shall the (list the included counties) form


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