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| 📷 Secretary of State Shenna Bellows looks towards a monitor and camera as she speaks to the public during a Facebook Live feed that was part of ranked choice tabulations at a state office building in Augusta on Nov. 15, 2022. (Morning Sentinel photo by Rich Abrahamson via AP) |
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🎰 And the winner of the race to be Question 1 is ...
◉ A question led by Central Maine Power Co. to make voters approve the public borrowing needed to fund an electric utility takeover will be Question 1 on the November ballot after a random drawing on Thursday by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, while the Pine Tree Power bid to put the system under the control of an elected board will be Question 3.
◉ By law, the four referendum questions dealing with simple changes to state law have to be before another four constitutional amendments on the Maine ballot. Questions 2 and 4 will be a proposed foreign electioneering ban and the "right to repair" bill, respectively.
◉ As for the constitutional amendments, measures that change judicial review periods for petitions, print treaty obligations to tribes, remove limits on referendum petitioners that have been deemed unconstitutional and allowing people under mental illness guardianship to vote for state officials will be questions 5-8, respectively.
◉ Campaigns generally prefer top positions, fearing "decision fatigue" as people move down the list, although one paper found essentially no voting effects based on question order. Here's your soundtrack.
👝 The governor's pocket powers come into play.
◉ Mills employed a little-used executive power move on Wednesday, when she said she would not sign a bill that will put Maine's potential state flag to voters until January. That will delay the referendum until November 2024.
◉ Under normal circumstances, the governor has 10 days to sign a bill or it becomes law. But that changes when the Legislature adjourns for the year, as it did early Wednesday. In those cases, the governor can delay bills until the Legislature reconvenes in January or veto them at that time. |
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What we're reading
🦶 A Maine prison official allegedly took illegal kickbacks from vendors.
🚬 Lawmakers again failed to fund a flavored tobacco ban.
✋ Maine is among 22 states opposing a big PFAS settlement with 3M.
🌀 Another volatile storm system could bring tornadoes to southern Maine.
🪦 This family put remains in the wrong cemetery plot. Here's your soundtrack. |
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