Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is now accepting public comment on the wording of the citizen’s initiative question that will appear on the Nov. 2, 2021, Referendum Election ballot.
The Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions has certified one citizen’s initiative that will go before voters: An Act To Require Legislative Approval of Certain Transmission Lines, Require Legislative Approval of Certain Transmission Lines and Facilities and Other Projects on Public Reserved Lands and Prohibit the Construction of Certain Transmission Lines in the Upper Kennebec Region.
The ballot question for this legislation, as drafted, reads:
*”Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to vote on other such projects in Maine retroactive to 2014, with a two-thirds vote required if a project uses public lands?”*
State law requires Secretary Bellows to present the proposed legislation concisely and intelligibly as a ballot question. She will be accepting public comments regarding the questions form and content for a 30-day period, beginning today, Tuesday, April 13 until 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, 2021. All comments will be reviewed and considered before the ballot question is finalized.
Comments will be accepted via the online submission form, email, mail or in person. Use the comment submission form at http://www.maine.gov/sos/form/certain-transmission-lines
The full text of the proposed legislation is available on the Citizens Initiatives webpage at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/citizens/index.html, along with proponent information.
