Maine House approves bill to reduce size of Legislature

Rep. David Van Wie amendment would shrink House of Representatives to 131 members

May 6, 2009

AUGUSTA – A bill to shrink the size of the Maine House of Representatives from 151 members to 131 members received strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Although the State and Local Government Committee initially voted down the bill, the full House approved the bill with an amendment put forth by Rep. David Van Wie, D-New Gloucester. A motion to vote down the bill failed 23-122, and the legislation was adopted by unanimous consent.

Rep. Van Wie had submitted a bill at the beginning of the session similar to the amendment, but due to its similarity to a bill submitted earlier by Rep. Pat Flood, R-Winthrop, Van Wie was instead made a co-sponsor of Flood’s bill. Van Wie testified in favor of Flood’s bill, but recommended amending the bill so that the number of state representatives would be shrunk to 131 instead of 115. This would mean that representatives, who now serve roughly 8,400 constituents, would serve close to 10,000 constituents. Van Wie’s amendment also does not reduce the size of the state Senate, as the original bill did.

“Unlike others advocating more radical proposals over the years, I don’t think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the Legislature. In my view, the size of the Senate seems fine. But I do think that 151 representatives, each representing about just 8,400 voters, is too many and too expensive for our small state,” said Van Wie speaking on the floor of the House. “Mainers definitely value their ‘up close and personal’ style of government. Maintaining a smaller ratio of residents to legislators compared to other states is very important.”

Flood spoke in favor of the amendment and thanked Van Wie for offering the amendment and working with him to pass the bill.

“Now is the time to make this change,” said House Majority Leader John Piotti, D-Unity. “We are asking all levels of state government to sustain cuts and create new efficiencies. Our actions show that the Legislature is serious about this as well. I think the citizens of Maine expect us to do our part, and we will through this legislation.”

The bill is a Constitutional Amendment and would therefore require a state-wide vote to accept or reject the proposal. If the voters were to pass an amendment to the State Constitution, the change would go into effect in 2013.

The bill faces further House and Senate votes.

Contact:

Rep. David A. Van Wie, 272-2482
Andrew Roth-Wells, legislative aide, 287-1430
Kyle Leighton, communications director, 287-1433