An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Maine Potato Board Districts
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §4602, sub-§3, ¶¶A to C, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 164, §2, are amended to read:
A. District One 1: Connor, Cyr Plantation, Eagle Lake, Fort Kent, Fort Kent Mills, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Hamlin, Keegan, Lille, Madawaska, New Canada Plantation, New Sweden, Perham, Sinclair, Soldier Pond, St. Agatha, St. David, St. Francis, St. John, Stockholm, TR 17, Upper Frenchville, Van Buren, Wallagrass , Westmanland, Woodland and Winterville;
B. District 2: Ashland, Caribou, Castle Hill, Caswell Plantation, Connor, Connor Township, Chapman, Crouseville, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Garfield Plantation, Limestone, Perham Mapleton, Nashville Plantation, Portage Lake, Presque Isle, Wade , and Washburn , Westmanland and Woodland; and
C. District 3: Ashland, Blaine, Bridgewater, Castle Hill, Chapman, E Plantation, Easton, Garfield Plantation, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Masardis, Nashville, Presque Isle, Robbinston and Westfield; All municipalities and townships in the State not included in Districts 1 and 2.
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4602, sub-§3, ¶D, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 164, §2 and amended by PL 2017, c. 403, Pt. A, §3 and affected by §4, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §4602, sub-§3, ¶E, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 164, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §4603, sub-§2, ¶¶A to C, as amended by PL 2001, c. 164, §3, are further amended to read:
A. There are 5 3 assemblies of tablestock growers, one for each district. Subject to paragraph F, all tablestock growers in any district are entitled to membership in that district's tablestock growers' assembly.
B. There are 5 3 assemblies of seed growers, one for each district. Subject to paragraph F, all seed growers in any district are entitled to membership in that district's seed growers' assembly.
C. There are 5 3 assemblies of processing growers, one for each district. Subject to paragraph F, all processing growers in any district are entitled to membership in that district's processing growers' assembly.
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §4603, sub-§3, ¶¶A to C, as amended by PL 2001, c. 164, §4, are further amended to read:
A. The executive council for the tablestock growers consists of 7 5 members, one elected by the tablestock growers' assembly for each district and 2 additional members appointed by the board.
B. The executive council for the seed growers consists of 7 5 members, one elected by the seed growers' assembly for each district and 2 additional members appointed by the board.
C. The executive council for the processing growers consists of 7 5 members, one elected by the processing growers' assembly for each district and 2 additional members appointed by the board.
Sec. 6. 36 MRSA §4603, sub-§3, ¶D, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 753, §§14 and 15, is amended to read:
D. The executive council for the dealers shall consist of 7 5 members elected by the dealers' assembly.
Sec. 7. 36 MRSA §4603, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2011, c. 7, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 8. 36 MRSA §4604, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 288, Pt. A, §48, is further amended to read:
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws governing the Maine Potato Board to reduce the number of the board's districts from 5 to 3 and the number of assemblies to match the reduction in districts, to reduce the number of members on assemblies' executive councils so that all executive councils have 5 members and to reduce the number of officers an executive council must elect to one, a chair. It also removes the requirements that the board carry out duties under the laws governing the so-called Maine Bag Program.