Whereas, sellers of marine products constitute an important segment of Maine's economy; and

Whereas, sellers of marine products will be economically disadvantaged if they are not able to advertise their products with roadside signs during the 1999 tourist season; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §1913-A, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 1991, c. 387, §1, is further amended to read:

E. Signs bearing political messages; and

Sec. 2. 23 MRSA §1913-A, sub-§2, ¶G, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 635, §3, is amended to read:

G. Signs erected between May 1st and December 31st by a producer of agricultural products, as long as those signs advertise products that are grown, produced and sold on the producer's premise. A producer that grows, produces and sells an agricultural product from a location with frontage on a numbered state highway may not erect a sign under this paragraph adjacent to that highway. Signs must be directional in nature and may advertise only the agricultural product that is available for immediate purchase. The producer erecting the sign shall remove the sign once the agricultural product advertised on the sign is no longer available. A sign may not exceed 8 square feet in size and must be located within 5 miles of where the product is sold. A sign may only be erected on private property after the producer erecting the sign has obtained the landowner's written consent. A sign must be a minimum of 33 feet from the center of a road. A producer may not erect more than 4 signs pursuant to this paragraph and the total number of signs erected by that producer under this paragraph and section 1911, subsection 2 may not exceed 6.; and

Sec. 3. 23 MRSA §1913-A, sub-§2, ¶H is enacted to read: