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Maine Fore River Bridge Bond Issue, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 4 (1950)
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The Maine Fore River Bridge Bond Issue Referendum, also known as Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 4, was on the September 11, 1950 ballot in Maine as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved.[1][2] The measure authorized the issuing of up to $7 million in bonds to fund the construction of a combination highway and railroad bridge across Fore river between the cities of Portland and South Portland in Cumberland County.[3] This amended Section 17 of Article IX of the Maine Constitution.[4]
Aftermath
The following year, a legislatively referred state statute was defeated that would have made the bridge across Fore River into a toll bridge until all the bonds issued for its construction were retired.
As of September 12, 1955, $7 million in bonded indebtedness remained on the Fore River Bridge.[5] The debt was the same on October 12, 1959.[6]
Election results
| Maine Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 4 (1950) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 106,952 | 65.94% | ||
| No | 55,248 | 34.06% | ||
Election results via: Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1820-
Text of measure
The language appeared on the ballot as:[2]
| “ |
"Shall the constitution be amended as proposed by a resolution of the legislature to authorize the issuing of bonds in an amount not exceeding $7,000,000 to be used for the purpose of building a combination highway and railroad bridge across Fore river as authorized by the legislature?" [7] |
” |
Constitutional changes
The full text of the constitutional changes made by this measure can be read here.
Similar measures
In 1951, a legislatively referred state statute to make the Fore River bridge a toll bridge was voted upon.
Other measures that have been used to seek funding for similar bridge projects include the following:
- Maine Kennebec Bridge Bond Issue, Amendment No. 1 (1925)
- Maine Waldo-Hancock Bridge, Amendment No. 2 (1929)
- Maine Bangor-Brewer Toll Bridge Bond Issue, Referendum Question No. 2 (1951)
- Maine Lewiston-Auburn Toll Bridge Bond Issue, Referendum Question No. 3 (1951)
- Maine Jonesport Reach Bridge Bond Issue, Referendum Question (1955)
- Maine Passagassawaukeag River Bridge, Referendum Question No. 1 (1959)
- Maine Chebeague Island Bridge and Causeways, Referendum Question No. 5 (1963)
- Maine Lewiston-Auburn Bridge, Referendum Question No. 3 (1967)
- Maine Kennebec Bridge, Referendum Question No. 3 (1972)
See also
- Maine 1950 ballot measures
- 1950 ballot measures
- List of Maine ballot measures
- History of Initiative & Referendum in Maine
External links
- The Lewiston Daily Sun, "List of Questions," September 8, 1950
- Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1820-
- National Conference of State Legislatures, State Ballot Measures Database
Footnotes
- ↑ Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, "Proposed Constitutional Amendments 1820-," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lewiston Daily Sun, "List of Questions," September 8, 1950
- ↑ ACTS AND RESOLVES AS PASSED BY THE Ninety-fourth Legislature OF THE STATE OF MAINE, "Chapter 184," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Resolves of the State of Maine Passed by the Ninety-fourth Legislature 1949, "Chapter 184," accessed April 18, 2014
- ↑ Lewiston Daily Sun, "Specimen Ballot," September 9, 1955
- ↑ Lewiston Daily Sun, "Specimen Ballot," October 5, 1959
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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