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November 4, 2009

Voters reject TABOR, excise tax changes

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Maine voters yesterday voted down two referendum questions that would have put limits on state spending and cut municipal excise tax.

Question 4, or TABOR II, was voted down 60% to 40%, the Bangor Daily News reported. TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, could have imposed limits on state and local budgets and required voters to approve increases. The Maine Municipal Association and the Maine Center for Economic Policy both praised the defeat of Question 4. Voters also said no to Question 2, which would have cut excise tax on newer vehicles and exempted hybrid vehicles, by a spread of 74% to 26%. Both questions were backed by conservative think tank Maine Heritage Policy Center, and Question 2 was also backed by another conservative group, Maine Leads, according to the paper.

Maine voters also rejected a constitutional amendment that would have given town clerks five extra days to certify signatures on people's veto petitions, and approved a $71 million transportation bond, according to the Daily News.

Voters in Wells overwhelmingly rejected a large-scale water extraction ordinance by a vote of 3,199 to 1,422, according to Seacoastonline.com. A moratorium on water extraction, sparked by Poland's Springs' failed attempt to locate extraction operations there, will now continue.

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