AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives overwhelmingly granted initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would reduce the size of its body from 151 members to 131.

The measure, which would amend the state Constitution and would take effect in 2013, would add about 1,600 constituents to each district and potentially save taxpayers $750,000 a year.

If the proposal passes the Legislature and is signed by the governor, Maine voters will get a say in a statewide referendum in November 2010. The Senate would not be affected by the legislation.

“Given the budget, how can we say, ‘Not us?'” said Rep. David Van Wie, D-New Gloucester, a co-sponsor on the measure initiated by Rep. Pat Flood, R-Winthrop. “I just felt the timing was right.”

Van Wie said he was “blown away” by the House vote, which struck down the State and Local Government Committee’s rejection of the bill by a vote of 122-23.

“That doesn’t happen every day,” he said.

The idea of shrinking the Legislature is not new. It’s a proposal that has been staunchly opposed in the past by Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, a former House speaker.

On Wednesday, Martin endorsed the move, citing overwhelming support from constituents and the state’s dismal budget projections.

“It’s more than symbolic; we are making a decision to really make a change,” he said. Asked if it would have an effect on day-to-day legislative business, Martin quickly said, “None.”

Fourteen Democrats and nine Republicans voting against the reduction.

“It’s hard to know if there would be a political advantage for one party or another; it would depend on the redistricting,” said Jay Finegan, spokesman for the House Republicans.

House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport, about a month after holding a press conference with fellow Republican leaders calling for smaller government, voted to maintain the House’s 151 seats. House Democratic leaders voted in support of the reduction.

Finegan said he hadn’t had a chance to discuss the vote with Tardy, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday afternoon.

“It definitely merits further discussion within the party caucus,” Finegan said.

Local Democrats were split on the issue.

“This is a fair issue, but it goes directly to how our democracy works in Maine, the biggest piece of which is our citizen Legislature,” said Rep. Mike Carey, D-Lewiston, who voted against the bill. “We can’t just take out one piece and change it; we should look at the whole picture.”

Rep. Dick Wagner, D-Lewiston, who supported the legislation, said it demonstrates that lawmakers recognize that savings need to be found in the Legislature.

Ryan Low, commissioner of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs, was the Democratic House staffer in charge of redistricting in 2002, the last time it occurred.

He predicted that if the House lost 20 seats, it would result in fewer rural legislators and those that remained would oversee much larger districts.

“In 2002, what we found, for example, was that the House districts in York County and parts of Cumberland County had grown from 8,400 constituents to more like 13,000, and areas like Limestone had dwindled far below the 8,400 mark,” Low said.

The House will take a second preliminary look at the measure before it moves to the Senate.

For more information about the initial House vote, visit http://tinyurl.com/dxmz64.