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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1553
H.P. 1011 House of Representatives, April 10, 2025
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of
Maine to Require a Supermajority of the Legislature to Approve
Raising Taxes
Reference to the Committee on Taxation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HENDERSON of Rumford.
Cosponsored by Senator BICKFORD of Androscoggin and
Representatives: ARDELL of Monticello, FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor,
GREENWOOD of Wales, LAVIGNE of Berwick, MCINTYRE of Lowell, MINGO of Calais,
QUINT of Hodgdon, RUDNICKI of Fairfield.
Page 1 - 132LR1657(01)
1Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the
2 Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be
3 proposed:
4Constitution, Art. I, §22 is amended to read:
5Section 22. Taxes. No tax or duty shall be imposed without the consent of the
6 people or of their representatives in the Legislature. The rate of taxation imposed by the
7 State with regard to any tax may not be increased and a new tax may not be imposed by the
8 State unless by consent of the people by exercise of their right of direct initiative or by a
9 2/3 vote of the members of each House.
10Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date.
11Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their
12 respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding
13 a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the
14 passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this
15 resolution by voting upon the following question:
16 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require that the rate
17 of taxation imposed by the State with regard to any tax may not be
18 increased and a new tax may not be imposed by the State unless by consent
19 of the people by exercise of their right of direct initiative or by a 2/3 vote
20 of the members of each House?"
21 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
22 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding square
23 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
24 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
25 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
26 returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the amendment,
27 the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of
28 the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation.
29Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State
30 shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of
31 this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
32SUMMARY
33 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to require that the rate of
34 taxation imposed by the State with regard to any tax may not be increased and a new tax
35 may not be imposed by the State unless by consent of the people by exercise of their right
36 of direct initiative or by a 2/3 vote of the members of each House.
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