Federal appeals court says Maine's foreign electioneering law is likely unconstitutional

A federal appeals court has agreed that Maine's voter-approved law dealing with foreign spending on elections is unconstitutional. In November 2023, roughly 86% of voters supported a ballot initiative that sought to ban foreign governments from spending to influence candidate elections or referendums in Maine. The initiative was a response to the tens of millions of dollars that Central Maine Power and Hydro Quebec spent to defeat an earlier referendum trying to block a controversial power line project through western Maine. CMP, Hydro Quebec and Versant Power challenged the law. In early 2024, a U.S. District Court judge blocked the state from enforcing the law. And on Friday, two judges with First Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with that decision in separate but concurring opinions. They said the law would likely violate the campaign activity and, therefore, the free speech rights of U.S. corporations that have foreign shareholders.