PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Food Processing, Storage and Distribution Infrastructure in Central and Northern Maine’
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 5 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies and entities set forth in this section.

FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE		

Provides funds for food processing, storage and distribution infrastructure in central and northern Maine in order to strengthen rural economic development and increase access to locally processed meat, poultry, fish and produce.

Total	$5,000,000	
 
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Amend the bill in section 9 by striking out all of the question (page 2, lines 17 and 18 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘
 
"Do you favor a $5,000,000 bond issue for food processing, storage and distribution infrastructure in central and northern Maine in order to strengthen rural economic development and increase access to locally processed meat, poultry, fish and produce?"
 
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Amend the bill by inserting after section 9 the following:
‘Sec. 10. Contingent transfer for additional ballot.   If the number or length of referendum questions to be submitted to the voters at the general election in November 2016 requires the production and delivery of more than a single ballot by the Secretary of State, the State Controller by August 1, 2016 shall transfer from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Administrative Services and Corporations program, General Fund account, $107,500 for each ballot in addition to the initial ballot required by the Secretary of State, unless the Secretary of State has already received a transfer of funds for that additional ballot.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment expands the use of the bond issue proceeds to include food storage and distribution infrastructure, specifies that it is for infrastructure in central and northern Maine and changes the administering agency to the Finance Authority of Maine. This amendment also provides for a transfer to the Secretary of State if the number or length of the referendum questions to be submitted to the voters at the general election in November 2016 requires the Secretary of State to produce and distribute more than one ballot to accommodate those questions.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)