Maine: Important Ballot Initiative Reform Legislation to be Heard in Committee Next Week

On Monday, February 13, the Committee on Veteran and Legal Affairs will hold a hearing on Legislative Document 31, sponsored by state Representative Eleanor Espling (R-65).  This is one of several proposals before the committee this legislative session that addresses problems and concerns involving the current “Citizen Initiative” process.  LD 31 would amend the Constitution of Maine to require that the signatures on a petition consist of voters from each of the State's two congressional districts, and the number of signatures from each congressional district be not less than 10% of the total vote for Governor cast in that congressional district in the previous gubernatorial election.  Please contact members of the committee and urge them to vote in favor of this important legislation!  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact committee members!

For more than a decade, Maine’s ballot initiative process has transitioned into a gross disproportional representation of the citizens across the state.  Almost without exception, an overwhelming majority of the signatures collected to qualify an initiative have been collected from the First Congressional District.  This type of system is easy to manipulate and often represents the position of one certain geographic area of the state to the detriment of another.

This past election cycle, gun owners witnessed this dilemma firsthand with the qualifying process for Question 3.  Question 3 was a ballot initiative backed by anti-gun billionaire, and former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, which failed by a thin margin.  Under the current initiative qualifying process, a majority of the required petition signatures were collected from urban areas in Southern Maine, putting gun owners at a great disadvantage. LD 31 would correct this problem and restore the integrity of the initiative qualifying system, making it difficult for out-of-state gun control advocates like Bloomberg to push their misguided agendas and buy their way onto the ballot.

Once again, please click the “Take Action” button to contact members of the committee and urge them to vote in favor of LD 31.