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Senator proposes renaming Maine’s 2nd Congressional District ‘Acadia’; committee asks about wording and legal effect
Summary
Sen. Joseph Martin presented LD 1214 to rename Maine’s Second Congressional District “Acadia.” Committee members asked whether a dual label (“District 2, Acadia”) might reduce confusion and requested legal and administrative confirmation for the work session.
Sen. Joseph Martin asked the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government on April 2 to approve LD 1214, a bill that would change the official name of Maine’s Second Congressional District to “Acadia.” The sponsor said the measure would not alter the district’s boundaries or functions but would recognize the region’s Acadian history and cultural identity.
Martin said the name change “does not alter the district's boundaries or functions in any way. It simply recognizes the identity and heritage already rooted in the region.” He told the committee Acadian settlers arrived in the 1600s and that their cultural presence continues in festivals and place names across Aroostook, Hancock, Washington and parts of western Maine.
Committee members raised questions about potential confusion from replacing a numeric district name with a proper name. “Would you consider something along the lines of the First District, the Second District also referred to as Acadia… so that it's still numerically number 2, but also referred to as Acadia?” Representative Randall Greenwood asked. Martin said he would be open to an amendment to include a numeric label alongside the name.
Other members asked about legal and administrative feasibility. Representative Dave Rollins asked, “Is it legally feasible? Can we take a political district and give it a name?” Martin replied he had done research and found no federal or state barrier and that the change would carry no fiscal note under his understanding. Representative Lynn Copeland asked staff to prepare a legal analysis for the work session so the committee can be confident the change won’t trigger unintended consequences.
No public testimony in opposition or formal votes occurred during the hearing; the committee scheduled follow-up work-session analysis, including confirmation of any required paperwork or administrative steps and a possible draft amendment that would preserve the numeric identifier while adding the Acadia name.
The committee did not take final action on LD 1214 on April 2 and requested the sponsor and staff supply more detail for the work session.
