Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §101-B is enacted to read:

§101-B.__Reappointment

1.__Advisory referendum.__At the end of the 5th year of a Superior Court Justice's term, the Secretary of State shall conduct an advisory referendum election in the county or counties in which the justice has sat in Superior Court during the previous 5 years on whether the justice should be reappointed.__ If the result of the election is in the negative, the Governor may not reappoint the justice.__The Governor is not bound by an affirmative vote.

2.__Rules.__The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, shall adopt rules to carry out this section consistent with election procedures in Title 21-A.__Rules adopted under this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §157, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 10, §1, is further amended to read:

A. The Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, shall appoint to the District Court 27 judges. At least one judge must be appointed from each district who is a resident of a county in which the district lies, except that in District 3 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies; in District 6 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies; and in District 9 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies. Each District Court Judge has a term of office of 7 years.

To be eligible for appointment as a District Court Judge, a person must be a member of the bar of the State. The term "District Court Judge" includes the Chief Judge and Deputy Chief Judge.

Sec. 3. 4 MRSA §157, sub-§1, ¶C is enacted to read:

C.__At the end of the 5th year of a District Court Judge's term, the Secretary of State shall conduct an advisory referendum election in the judicial district or districts in which the judge has sat in District Court during the