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LD1715 • 2025

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Senator Richard Bennett
Last action
2025-06-17
Official status
On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland The Senate INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-256) and PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-256) Sent down for concurrence
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Judiciary Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Judiciary Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1122(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1122(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1715 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3JUDICIARY 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-17 House

    Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford MOVED to INSIST . Motion of Representative HENDERSON of Rumford to RECEDE and CONCUR to ACCEPTANCE of the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report and PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-256) FAILED . ROLL CALL NO. 549 (Yeas 72 - Nays 73 - Absent 4 - Excused 2) Subsequently, the House INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of the Minority Ought Not to Pass Report. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. Placed in the Legislative Files. ( DEAD )

  2. 2025-06-16 Senate

    On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland The Senate INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-256) and PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-256) Sent down for concurrence

  3. 2025-06-03 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

  4. 2025-04-30 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-04-30 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-04-17 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers
Sponsor:
Senator Richard Bennett
Reference committee:
Judiciary
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1715
S.P. 668 In Senate, April 17, 2025
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of
Maine to Amend the Appointment and Confirmation Process for
Certain Judicial, Civil and Military Officers
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BENNETT of Oxford.

Page 1 - 132LR1122(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. V, Part First, §8, 2nd ¶ is amended to read:
5Procedure for confirmation. The procedure for confirmation shall be as follows:
6 an appropriate legislative committee comprised of members of both houses in reasonable
7 proportion to their membership as provided by law shall recommend confirmation or denial
8 by majority vote of committee members present and voting. The committee
9 recommendation shall be reviewed by the Senate and upon review shall become final action
10 of confirmation or denial unless the. The Senate may confirm a nomination by vote of 2/3
11 of those members present and voting overrides the committee recommendation. The
12 Senate vote shall be by the yeas and nays.
13Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date.
14Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their
15 respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding
16 a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the
17 passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this
18 resolution by voting upon the following question:
19 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to allow the Senate to
20 confirm nominations of certain judicial, civil and military officers by a 2/3
21 vote?"
22 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
23 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding square
24 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
25 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
26 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
27 returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the amendment,
28 the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of
29 the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation.
30Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State
31 shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of
32 this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
33SUMMARY
34 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to allow the Senate to
35 confirm nominations of certain judicial, civil and military officers by a 2/3 vote.
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