PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Require Approval by the Voters of Legislation To Enact or Increase a Tax Generating at Least $10,000,000’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §1522  is enacted to read:
§ 1522. Approval of enactment or increase of tax of $10,000,000 or more
 
1.  Approval.     A measure enacted by the Legislature that would create or increase a tax generating $10,000,000 or more annually may not take effect until the measure has been approved by the voters at the next scheduled statewide election unless the measure is passed by a vote of 2/3 of all the members elected to each chamber of the Legislature.
 
2.  Ballot information.     The Secretary of State shall prepare the following information regarding a measure requiring voter approval under subsection 1. This information must be posted on the Secretary of State's publicly accessible website and be included on the ballot:
 
A.  The tax being increased and the amount of the increase;
 
B.  The purpose of the increase; and
 
C. The projected revenue resulting from the increase for the first 4 years after the increase.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the bill and requires the creation or increase of a tax generating $10,000,000 or more annually to be approved by the voters unless the measure is approved by a vote of 2/3 of all the members elected to each chamber of the Legislature. It also removes the requirement that the Secretary of State prepare information about how the projected new revenue is intended to be used.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)