The RECORD

The Question as it appears on the ballot:

Question 2: Constitutional Amendment

Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to state that a citizens' initiative or people's veto petition must be submitted to local or state officials by the constitutional deadline in order to be certified and, in the case of a citizens' initiative, must be filed with the Secretary of State within 18 months?

Our recommendation would be to vote no.

Our rationale:

This question seeks to limit the citizen's right for redress of grievances currently granted by the Maine Constitution. The goal of this is to make it more difficult for citizen's initiatives to get on the ballot. Despite the confusing wording that seems to be in favor of citizen's initiatives, this particular question seeks a way to get around the Maine Supreme Court decision of May 4, 2006. The 12-month filing deadline was found to be unconstitutional because it sets up a barrier to signature collection. And the wording is confusing. Usually, if it is hard to understand, a "no" vote maintains the status quo.

Here in New England, citizens have a long history of civic involvement and self-governance, from the town hall meeting to the citizen's initiative. As voters, we ought to view any attempts to encroach upon our rights with caution and remain vigilant against attempts by the government to overreach its constitutional authority. Our Founders were suspicious of government when they wrote: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." (10th Amendment to the US Constitution).