Maine Gay Marriage Law Gets Challenged

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine officials say gay marriage opponents are challenging a new law allowing same-sex couples to wed.

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said Thursday that opponents filed a challenge under the state's "people's veto" provision.

It allows for a referendum to overturn laws if opponents can collect enough signatures.

The filing came Wednesday, the same day the Legislature passed the bill and Gov. John Baldacci (bahl-DAH'-chee) signed it.

Opponents need to get at least 10 percent of people who voted in the last governor's election to force a referendum in November.

The signature-collecting deadline will probably fall in mid-September.

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On the Net:

Maine people's veto: http://tinyurl.com/dj5knf

Comments

[carsntrucks]

Good luck to those trying to uphold real marriage in Maine. I wish them all the best.

[GinnyW]

I'm with you!! Real marriage as opposed to "civil unions"!! Is there a license for a civil union? Well, yes; it's called a marriage license.

[rcdcr]

Why is it that Religious Heterosexuals will only fight for their right to treat others badly and unhumanly?

I don't see ANY of them fighting so that ALL of their children will have access to school books.

I don't see ANY of them fighting to ban Shrimp, Lobster, or Scallops. (One of the OTHER 'abominations' listed in Leviticus)

Heck, I don't even see any of them fighting to 'protect the children' against Heterosexuals, who, clearly, commit FAR more unspeakable crimes against children than do Gays & Lesbians.

The American Religious Heterosexual's hypocrisy is palpable across this nation.

[nowarpleez]

There is a new dating website for married people who want to cheat. Isn't this a threat the hetero marriage? I haven't heard any outrage from the right wing on this issue.

[TheThinkerCometh]

Of course, they just want to pick and choose what they want to enforce in the Bible. For instance, in Exodus, there's a statement allowing a father to sell his daughter into slavery. Also, in Leviticus, it says all people who follow God must not perform certain forms of work on the Sabbath or wear blended fibers ever or face death. So, yeah, it's picking and choosing.

[Artemis34]

And yet they disregard every passage that calls us to deal with one another with love and compassion!

Very selective in deed.

Check out "Why Can't I Buy a Canadian" at:

http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html

[nowarpleez]

I've never heard anyone provide a logical explanation for how gay marriage is a threat to hetero marriage. Wouldn't it be just the opposite from a homophobe's perspective? If gay people are married, isn't it less likely that they would try to entice or pursue a heterosexual? Just a thought.

[nowarpleez]

Joe Sestack for Senate 2010! Admiral Sestack is a great person. Check him out on Rachel Maddow on Thursday night discussing "don't ask, don't tell". He has so much compassion and a wonderful spirit. I like him alot.

[TheThinkerCometh]

Don't let this become another Prop 8, Maine, speak up, don't let a referendum swift boat your newfound freedoms!

[mainemomma]

We have had these sorts of challanges before. In 2006 there was a 'peoples veto' for a law that added sexual orientation to the state civil rights law. There were huge out-of-state influences.. lots of money and boots on the ground. Funny thing tho... the repeal failed big time.

The movement to combat the peoples veto was called 'Maine Won';t Discriminate'. Maine won't, and this effort to repeal the new law concerning gay marriage will fail.

[TheThinkerCometh]

Well, I'm confident you will. It would be a nice slap in the face to that NOM group, along with other such groups.

[Cosmic-Zantor]

Americans do not have the right to take civil rights away from their fellow citizens. If they attempt to do so, it is an abuse of power. Voters can abuse power just as easily as a politician. If voters attempt to deny their fellow citizens civil rights, this is a profound ethical violation that must not be tolerated. It is the role of the courts to correct such abuses.

Marriage is a fundamental freedom and right and there is no justification in preventing gay couples from having this right. I don't know if there are enough bigots in Maine to actually overturn equal rights legislation, but let's hope not.

[RuthlessDictator]

From the number of times I've been to Maine it seems like everybody there is a Massachusetts transplant.

[Sensiblebg]

Ill sign the petition!

[mainemomma]

Do you live here? If you do, excercise your right. If you don't, stay out of our business.

[BikeFreak]

Because a gay couple marrying interferes in your life exactly how?

[mainemomma]

They can't tell you how. They just try and scare sheeple.

[Laureland]

When will opponents of gay marriage exhaust themselves with their own hatred? How tiring it must be to *hate* someone, for no other reason than their sexual orientation. The hatred being based, of course, in fear.

This truly is the civil rights struggle of our generation. Our grandchildren will look at this era and wonder how there could have be so much hate for people who only want the same rights as heterosexual couples. So much hatred over the issue of loving someone!

[Sepulchre]

I am afraid hate all they know, so it is unlikely they will run out.

[mko9d]

That has baffled me too. Why would anyone want to live their life fighting all the time and feeling hatred. It must have such a draining effect on the soul. I almost feel sorry for them. Always trying to make divisions in society.

Whatever... at the rate that support for gay marriage is growing, we'll have full equality by... 2012, maybe? I'm not worried at all. The trend is moving in our favor... finally.

[M1]

Helping the sick, disabled, poor and uneducated and unsupported single mothers would be a better place to spend their energy and money.

[Moxo]

Since divorce is way more destructive to families than the allowing of same-sex marriage, perhaps the main supporters of gay marriage should propose their own 'People's Veto' to do away with divorce in Maine?

Might be fun to try to get signatures to repeal divorce laws while standing next to someone getting signatures to repeal gay marriage.

[drdubski]

totally agree. wish i was there to help. i use that arguement all the time with my divorced right wing co-workers.

[wgsalter]

What a bunch of hypocrites you are! "Maine Gay Marriage Law Already Challenged" reads the crawl, but where was the "California Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment Already Challenged" breathless headline? What, it's NOT okay for citizens of Maine, inaccordance with Maine law, to attempt to reverse the legislature, but it IS okay, in accordance with California law, to attempt to reverse a constitutional amendment in California's Supreme Court?

[Disuberence]

Uh... they did report on the Prop 8 court battle... what are you talking about?

[Cosmic-Zantor]

You're not familiar with the term "current events", are you?

Is the first time you've read a news site?

[Paulied]

What a shining example of Christianity is the man with the
G od
A bhors
Y ou
sign! Jesus must be embarrassed.

[StevenKeirstead]

That headline picture is actually from in front of the Massachusetts State house, but I'm sure there are similar signs that have been made in Maine. The most extreme sign I saw during the protests in Boston was "Homosexuals Are Possessed by Demons." I kid you not: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~keirst/photojournalism/pj7.html

[Mysticalsister]

The GOP sure loves lawyers. Look at Coleman.
In what universe does the guy with fewer votes
get to prevent the winner from being sworn in?

Hopefully, the GOP will continue to throw their money at their problems --

fighting the inevitable --
it''s their contribution to the stimulus.

[Jameszina]

Gays can stop paying taxes. Theres a place called jail. You don't have a right to violate the true meaning of marriage. A man for woman. Adam and Eve.

[Justice Wainwright]

You are a twit.

[Blueyellow40]

The god in your bible is not real.

[4 Real]

There is not "true" meaning of marriage. If you want the biblical version, than multiple wives are AOK with the big guy. So is ownership of your wife since she is less than her husband. Btw, didn't Eve have relations with her sons to populate the earth?
Stop reading fiction and start thinking for yourself.

[flyrod]

Me thinks Jameszina's got The G.ay. Just hasn't come to terms with it yet.

[pfrogger]

People, let's be calm and think rationally.
Is there anyone who's surprised by this? seriously? of course they're going to have a challenge. either a judicial or referendum-style, or both.

Segregation lasted for approx 90 years in this country. only when there had been significant challenges by both sides, was the civil rights act finally legislated.
Will this be over soon? probably not. will there be many more challenges from both sides? hell ya.

but eventually it will happen. way too many open-minded people. most are fairly impartial. few are just rabid bigots.

I do apologize to the LGBT community. I understand that enough is enough. You have suffered too much fear and hate for it to be right. I just want you to know that you are not alone. We, all of us, must stand together and educate. We must stand for the voice of reason and tolerance so that the voices of fear, intolerance, and hate will crawl back into whatever pathetic hole they came from.
Equality is no longer a potential, but a certainty. We must stay strong, committed, and move forward.

In 20 years, these hate mongers will be treated as the lepers they are. In 20 years children will look back at this time and wonder how such bigots could think the way they do. In 20 years rabid homophobia will be as the racism of today, present, but on the wrong side of the law and decency.

[BartLA]

Gays should just stop paying taxes en masse until they are granted full equal rights.

[kcinci]

Wonder how may rethuglican queens would actually come out of the closet if they could get away with that?

[nowarpleez]

and heterosexuals who support them.