STATE OF MAINE
SUPREME illDICIAL COURT

DOCKET NO. OJ-15-2

In the Matter of
Request For Opinion of the Justices

PROCEDURAL ORDER

On Friday, July 17, 2015, Governor Paul R. LePage referred three Questions to the Supreme
Judicial Court, pursuant to article IV, part 3 of the Maine Constitution, related to the status of certain
bills acted on during the 127th Maine Legislature.
The Justices hereby invite the Governor's Counsel, Counsel for the Maine Senate and House of
Representatives, and any interested person or entity to submit briefs addressing

1. whether the Questions propounded present a " solemn occasion," pursuant to article VI, section
3 of the Maine Constitution; and
2. the law regarding the Questions propounded.
The Governor has indicated that time is of the essence. Accordingly, the following expedited
schedule is established.
Any person or entity submitting a brief to the Court shall do so by filing the brief with the
Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court, in Portland, at 205 Newbury Street, Room 139, Portland, Maine
04101, at or before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 24, 2015. Briefs shall be no longer than twenty-five
pages, double-spaced. Responsive briefs are not required, but may be filed by any person or entity
that filed an initial brief, at or before noon on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Responsive briefs shall be
no longer than ten pages, double-spaced.
Oral Argument from the Executive and Legislative Branches will be held on Friday,
July 31, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., in courtroom 12, in the Cumberland County Courthouse.

To facilitate public and judicial review of all filings, and in light of the expedited schedule, the briefs
are not required to be bound; any party filing a brief shall provide two copies to the Clerk's Office; and an
electronic copy of any hard copy brief filed shall be simultaneously emailed in the form of a single
text-based pdf file to: lawcourt.clerk@courts.maine.gov.
All filings and orders in this matter can be found, within a reasonable period of time, at
www .courts.maine.gov/maine_courts/supreme/gov_question/.
Dated: July 20, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.