Measure on the ballot in the 2023 Maine General Election in Maine.
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Get StartedThis initiated bill prohibits a quasi-independent state entity, reporting entity, municipal electric district, consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility, cooperative or rural electrification cooperative from borrowing money, incurring debt, whether general obligation debt or revenue obligation debt, or issuing bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness that would cause its total debt outstanding at any time to exceed $1,000,000,000 unless the action that would cause the total debt outstanding to exceed $1,000,000,000 is approved by the voters at a general election. This initiated bill requires the Treasurer of State, with the assistance of the Secretary of State, to prepare a statement to accompany the question presented to the voters regarding the estimated costs of the increased debt and any other issues the Treasurer of State considers relevant. Exemptions are provided for debt issued by the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, the Finance Authority of Maine, the Maine Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Maine Turnpike Authority, municipalities and counties and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank and for certain education-related programs.
A "YES" vote is to enact the initiated legislation.
A "NO" vote opposes the initiated legislation.
"Question 1 was written to stall consumer owned utilities, should Question 3 pass. It will slow progress and create more opportunity for misinformation." - Sierra Club Maine, in opposition to Question 1 (Learn more)
"After collecting enough signatures, a proposal that would authorize seizing the state's electric utilities is likely to appear on the November 2023 ballot, creating billions of dollars in debt we would all have to pay off through our electric bills. The people pushing this proposal can't say exactly how much it would cost, and they are asking us to write a blank check. Voters should know the price tag and get a chance to vote on that debt first." - No Blank Checks, in support of Question 1 (Learn more)
"CMP (Central Maine Power) and Versant are fighting tooth and nail against Maine ratepayers, who dare to challenge the corporate monopolies. Well-funded by the parent corporations, CMP's campaign groups aim, with Question 1, to quash efforts by Maine people to have control over our electricity rates and prevent us from building a stronger, climate-resistant grid." - Clifford Krolick, in opposition to Question 1 (Learn more)
"If we are going to be on the hook for billions of dollars in government debt, voters should get the final say on whether to take that on." - Willy Ritch, Executive Director of No Blank Checks, in support of Question 1 (Learn more)
Do you want to bar some quasi-governmental entities and all consumer-owned electric utilities from taking on more than $1 billion in debt unless they get statewide voter approval?
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