2014 Ballot Questions

This year there are seven ballot questions for Maine voters consider on the November ballot: six proposed bonds and a question about bear baiting. Questions 2 through 7 are bond proposals.

Here you will find the language of the bond proposals and an explanation of what the bond would do.

You can find information on how and where to vote by calling you town office or city hall or by checking the Secretary of State’s website here.

For all of the bond questions, a YES vote is in favor of the bond and a NO vote is opposed to the bond.

Question 1 : Citizen’s Initiative about bear baiting.

Question 1: “Do you want to ban the use of bait, dogs or traps in bear hunting except to protect property, public safety, or for research?”

Currently, hunters are allowed to use bait, traps, and dogs to hunt bears. This question would ban those practices.

A YES vote would ban bear baiting in Maine except to protect property, for public safety, or for research.
A NO vote would keep the law the way it is: hunters would continue to be allowed to use bait, traps, and dogs to hunt bears.

Question 2: $8 million for a lab at the University of Maine

Question 2: “Do you favor an $8,000,000 bond issue to support Maine agriculture, facilitate economic growth in natural resources-based industries and monitor human health threats related to ticks, mosquitoes and bedbugs through the creation of an animal and plant disease and insect control laboratory administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service?”

This bond provides $8 million for a new diagnostic lab at the University of Maine to study ticks, mosquitoes, bedbugs, and determine if they carry any diseases, such as Lyme Disease.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond

Question 3: $12 million to help small businesses

Question 3: “Do you favor a bond issue to provide $4,000,000 in funds to insure portions of loans to small businesses to spur investment and innovation and to provide $8,000,000 in funds to make flexible loans to small businesses to create jobs, revitalize downtowns and strengthen the rural economy?”

This bond provides a total of $12 million to the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) to help small businesses grow and create jobs.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond

Question 4: $10 million for biomedical research

Question 4: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue, to be awarded through a competitive process and to be matched by $11,000,000 in private and other funds, to build a research center and to discover genetic solutions for cancer and the diseases of aging, to promote job growth and private sector investment in this State, to attract and retain young professionals and make the State a global leader in genomic medicine?”

This bond provides $10 million to be matched by $11 million in private donations for a research facility to explore genetic solutions for diseases, including cancer. The research center would be selected through a competitive process.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond

Question 5: $3 million for biomedical research

Question 5: “Do you favor a $3,000,000 bond issue, to be awarded through a competitive process and to be matched by $5,700,000 in private and public funds, to modernize and expand infrastructure in a biological laboratory specializing in tissue repair and regeneration located in the State in order to increase biotechnology workforce training, retain and recruit to the State multiple biomedical research and development groups and create a drug discovery and development facility that will improve human health and stimulate biotechnology job growth and economic activity?”

This bond provides $3 million to be matched by $5.7 million in private and public funds for a lab specializing in biomedical research. The lab would be selected through a competitive process.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond

Question 6: $10 million for drinking water improvements

Question 6: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to ensure clean water and safe communities across Maine; to protect drinking water sources; to restore wetlands; to create jobs and vital public infrastructure; and to strengthen the State’s long-term economic base and competitive advantage?”

This bond would provide $10 million to strengthen Maine’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and restore wetlands.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond

Question 7: $7 million for Maine’s marine economy

Question 7: “Do you favor a $7,000,000 bond issue to facilitate the growth of marine businesses and commercial enterprises that create jobs and improve the sustainability of the State’s marine economy and related industries through capital investments, to be matched by at least $7,000,000 in private and other funds?”

This bond provides $7 million to be matched by at least $7 million in private funds to invest in Maine’s marine economy.

If you vote YES, you are in favor of the bond
If you vote NO, you are opposed to the bond