Maine State Aid Highways Bond Issue, Amendment No. 2 (1935)

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The Maine State Aid Highways Bond Issue Referendum, also known as Amendment No. 2, was on the September 9, 1935 ballot in Maine as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved. The measure provided for an increase in the amount of state bonds to be issued for the purpose of matching federal aid money available for the construction of state highways. This amended Section 17 of Article IX of the Maine Constitution.

Election results

Maine Amendment No. 2 (1935)
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		19,074	65.80%
No		9,915	34.20%

Election results via: Main State Law and Legislative Reference Library, Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1820-

Text of measure

See also: Maine Constitution, Article IX, Section 17

The language appeared on the ballot as:

“

AMENDMENT NO. 2 "Shall the constitution be amended as proposed by a resolution of the legislature to provide for an increase in the amount of state bonds to be issued for the purpose of matching federal aid money available for the construction of state highways?" By Chapter 96 of the Resolves of 1935, it is proposed that Section 17 of Article IX of the Constitution, as amended by Article LII of the Constitution, shall be further amended by striking out all of said section and inserting in place thereof the following: 'Sec. 17. The state, under proper enactment of the legislature, may issue its bonds not exceeding in the aggregate $36,000,000 in amount at any one time and all bonds issued after the year 1935 shall be payable serially within 15 years from date of issue, at a rate of interest not exceeding 4% per year, payable semi-annually. The proceeds of the bond hereafter issued and outstanding under authority of this section to the extent of $5,000,000 shall be devoted solely to the construction of the system of state highways heretofore designated or to such as may hereafter be designated. Said bonds, when paid at maturity or otherwise retired, shall not be reissued. All bonds issued under the authority of this section shall be in addition to the bonds heretofore issued in the amount of $3,000,000, the proceeds of which were devoted to the building of a combination highway and railroad bridge across Kennebec river between the city of Bath and the town of Woolwich, and in addition to the bonds heretofore issued in the amount of $900,000, the proceeds of which were devoted to the building of a highway bridge across the Penobscot river between the towns of Prospect, Verona and Bucksport. Provided further, that in case it becomes necessary in the judgment of the governor and council to match available federal funds for the construction of state highways, the state may issue its bonds up to $1,000,000 per year, the proceeds thereof to be available for the aforesaid purpose after July 1, 1936.'

”

Constitutional changes

The full text of the constitutional changes made by this measure can be read here.

Similar measures

Funding for state highway construction projects has been a frequent ballot issue in Maine. The following lists those that have been approved and defeated.

Approved

• Maine Bond Issue for State Highways, Question No. 2 (1912) a
• Maine Highways and Bridges Bond Issue Increase, Amendment No. 5 (1919) a
• Maine Highways and Bridges Bond Issue, Amendment No. 2 (1925) a
• Maine Highways and Bridges Bond Issue Increase, Amendment No. 3 (1929) a
• Maine State Highways Bond Issue, Referendum Question No. 1 (1957) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 2 (1959) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 1 (1961) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 2 (1963) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 2 (1965) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 1 (1968) a
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 1 (1974) a
• Maine Highway and Bridge Improvement Program, Referendum Question No. 2 (1975) a
• Maine Highway and Bridge Improvement Program, Referendum Question No. 7 (1977) a
• Maine Highway and Bridge Improvement, Referendum Question No. 1 (1979) a
• Maine Highway and Bridge Improvement, Referendum Question No. 2 (1981) a
• Maine Highway and Bridge Improvement, Bond Issue 3 (1983) a
• Maine Highway, Bridge and Airport Improvements, Bond Issue 4 (1985) a
• Maine Highway, Bridge, Airport and Harbor Improvements, Question 7 (1989) a
• Maine Highway, Bridge, Airport, Ferry Vessel and Harbor Improvements Matching Federal Funds, Question 8 (1991) a

Defeated

• Maine State Aid Highways Bond Issue, Amendment No. 2 (1921) d
• Maine Highways and Bridges Bond Issue Increase, Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (1939) d
• Maine State Highways Bond Issue, Referendum Question No. 1 (1951) d
• Maine State Highways Construction, Referendum Question No. 11 (1969) d
• Maine Highway, Bridge and Airport Improvements and Groundwater Pollution, Question 9 (1987) d

See also

Suggest a link

• Maine 1935 ballot measures
• 1935 ballot measures
• List of Maine ballot measures
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Maine

External links

• The Bath Independent, "List of Questions," September 5, 1935
• Main State Law and Legislative Reference Library, Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1820-
• National Conference of State Legislatures, State Ballot Measures Database