QUESTION 1: People’s Veto

An Act To End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom

“Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?”

HIGHLIGHTS: Voters must decide whether to reject or accept amendments to the state’s marriage laws that were enacted by the Legislature and approved by the governor in May. The new law allows same-sex couples to marry in Maine, and recognizes such marriages from other states. It is a civil rights issue.

The law ensures that church and state are separate. The law does not infringe on any religious belief. It merely upholds civil rights under the Maine State constitution.

A yes vote would reject the new law and continue to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.

A no vote would allow the new law to take effect, permitting same-sex couples to marry.

QUESTION 2: Citizen Initiative

An Act to Decrease the Automobile Excise Tax and Promote Energy

“Do you want to cut the rate of the municipal excise tax by an average of 55% on motor vehicles less than six years old and exempt hybrid and other alternative-energy and highly fuel-efficient motor vehicles from sales tax and three years of excise tax?”

HIGHLIGHTS: This legislation would reduce the excise tax rates that owners pay each year to register their vehicles. The extent of the rate cut would vary depending on the age of the vehicle.

If this is enacted local municipalities will loose revenue. This could cause property tax increases.

QUESTION 3: Citizen Initiative

An Act to Repeal the School District Consolidation Laws

“Do you want to repeal the 2007 law on school district consolidation and restore the laws previously in effect?”

HIGHLIGHTS: This citizen-initiated legislation would repeal the law enacted by the Legislature and signed by the governor in June 2007, and amended in 2008 and 2009, and would re-enact the laws governing school administrative units that were in effect before June 2007.

The goal of reorganization was to reduce the number of school administrative units in the state from 290 to about 80 by creating regional school units and eliminating school administrative districts, community school districts and school unions formed before June 2007. Amendments allowed exceptions for isolated, rural communities and delayed penalties for noncompliance. The law eliminates administrative bureaucracy so that there are more funds available directly for schools.

A yes vote favors repeal of the 2007 school district consolidation law and its amendments. This would cost the state over $1.3 million.

A no vote opposes repeal and favors leaving the 2007 school district consolidation law and its amendments.

QUESTION 4: Citizen Initiative

An Act to Provide Tax Relief

“Do you want to change the existing formulas that limit state and local government spending and require voter approval by referendum for spending over those limits and for increases in state taxes?”

HIGHLIGHTS: This legislation would limit state spending and require voters’ approval for exceeding state and local spending limits, and for raising state taxes. In a recession this could damage school and healthcare systems.

Caps are all ready in place at all levels of government in Maine.

There has been a limit on property-tax increases since 2005, based on personal income growth and inflation.

QUESTION 5: Citizen Initiative

An Act to Establish the Maine Medical Marijuana Act

“Do you want to change the medical marijuana laws to allow treatment of more medical conditions and to create a regulated system of distribution?”

HIGHLIGHTS: Current state law allows doctors to recommend the use of marijuana for conditions including “persistent nausea, vomiting, wasting syndrome or loss of appetite” caused by AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy or multiple sclerosis, and allows patients to grow as many as six plants to supply their own marijuana.

The new law would define “debilitating medical condition” as all of the currently covered conditions plus Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s and hepatitis C. It also would permit doctors to recommend marijuana for pain that has not responded to other treatments, and require the state Department of Health and Human Services to set up a system to allow the public to petition the state to add to the list of debilitating medical conditions.

QUESTION 6: Bond Issue

“Do you favor a $71,250,000 bond issue for improvements to highways and bridges, airports, public transit facilities, ferry and port facilities, including port and harbor structures, as well as funds for the LifeFlight Foundation that will make the State eligible for over $148,000,000 in federal and other matching funds?”

HIGHLIGHTS: $55 million for highway and bridge improvements, federal match of $110 million

• $4 million for rail investments, with a private match of $3 million

• $8.25 million for port and ferry improvements, with a federal match of $11.75 million

• $3.6 million for aviation improvements, with a federal match of $57 million, local funds of $1.5 million and a LifeFlight match of $500,000

• $400,000 for intermodal investments

This bond issue means jobs for Mainers.

QUESTION 7: Constitutional Amendment

“Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to increase the amount of time that local officials have to certify the signatures on direct initiative petitions?”