Maine LD 80: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Lower the Age Requirement To Run for Legislative Office

LD 80 (subjects: LEGISLATURE , LEGISLATORS )

Official bill page at mainelegislature.org: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?ld=80&PID=1456&snum=127

Sponsors | Actions | Bill Text & Amendments | Patterns of Support

Actions

	Chamber	Action
1/20/2015	Senate	Committee on STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT suggested and ordered printed On motion by Senator Willette of Aroostook REFERRED to the Committee on STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
1/20/2015	House	RESOLUTION REFERRED to the Committee on STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/28/2015	Senate	Reports READ On motion by Senator WHITTEMORE of Somerset Minority Ought Not To Pass Report ACCEPTED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call # 33 26 Yeas – 9 Nays- 0 Excused – 0 Absent PREVAILED Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
4/29/2015	House	Reports READ. On motion of Representative MARTIN of Sinclair, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED. The RESOLUTION was READ ONCE. Committee Amendment “A” (S-54) was READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the rules, the RESOLUTION was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading. The RESOLUTION was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment “A” (S-54). In NON-CONCURRENCE and sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/30/2015	Senate	On motion by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin Tabled until Later in Today’s Session, pending FURTHER CONSIDERATION Unfinished Business
5/5/2015	Senate	Unfinished Business
5/6/2015	Senate	Unfinished Business
5/7/2015	Senate	Taken from the table by the President On motion by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin The Senate RECEDED From ACCEPTANCE of the Minority OUGHT NOT TO PASS Report Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment “A” (S-54) Report ACCEPTED READ ONCE Committee Amendment “A” (S-54) READ and ADOPTED , in concurrence. Under suspension of the Rules READ A SECOND TIME On motion by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin Senate Amendment “A” (S-71) READ and ADOPTED , in NON-CONCURRENCE. Subsequently, PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment “A” (S-54) AND Senate Amendment “A” (S-71) , in NON-CONCURRENCE. Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
5/12/2015	House	The House INSISTED on PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment “A” (S-54). ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
5/13/2015	Senate	On motion by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin The Senate ADHERED To ACCEPTANCE of Majority OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED Report AND PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment “A” (S-54) AND Senate Amendment “A” (S-71) , in NON-CONCURRENCE. Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD).

Important Note: The bill text below presents L.D. 80 as originally introduced. L.D. 80 was changed by the legislature through amendment. To understand the impact of this legislation in proper context, be sure to read adopted amendment text, available here: C-A (S-54) .

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Lower the Age Requirement To Run for Legislative Office

Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be proposed:

Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, 4, first is amended to read:

Section
4. Qualifications; residency requirement. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the commencement of the period for which the person is elected, have been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the age of 21 18 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person’s election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which that person represents.

Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, 6 is amended to read:

Section
6. Qualifications. The Senators shall be 25 21 years of age at the commencement of the term, for which they are elected, and in all other respects their qualifications shall be the same as those of the Representatives.

; 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 held in the month 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 lower the age requirement for State Senators from 25 to 21 years of age and to lower the age requirement for State Representatives from 21 to 18 years of age?”

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. 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 of Maine on the date of the proclamation; and be it further

Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.

SUMMARY

This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to provide for lowering the age requirements to serve in the Maine House of Representatives from 21 to 18 years of age and to serve in the Maine Senate from 25 to 21 years of age.

Patterns of Support

Pattern of Cosponsorship by Region:

Pattern of Cosponsorship by Gender:

Pattern of Cosponsorship by Party:

Pattern of Cosponsorship by Campaign Finance Classification:

Note: Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) Qualified candidates only accept a small dollar value of initial contributions early in their campaigns, pledge not to accept further campaign contributions from private sources, and receive public funding for their campaigns. MCEA Non-Qualified candidates choose not to obtain public funding and instead are free to accept campaign contributions from individuals, party committees, political action committees and business sources.

This information about LD 80 was last updated on 2016-05-12.
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