Judge Rules Maine Campaign Contribution Disclosure Law Constitutionally Valid And That National Organization For Marriage Required Reveal Donors, Hawaii Governor Abercrombie To Sign Civil Unions Wednesday, United Kingdom Human Rights Commission Investigates Whether “Gay-Only” Establishments Violate New Equality Laws, Coronation Street To Air Same Sex Marriage Episode Day Of Royal Wedding, Taylor Lautner Sneaks Through The Alley

The Kennebec Journal reports that a challenge to the constitutional validity of Maine’s campaign finance law requiring organizations that either raise or spend more than $5,000 register with the state and disclose donors who make contributions of $100 or more was unsuccessful, United States District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby rejecting arguments made by the National Organization for Marriage that the campaign contribution law was overly broad and vague. NOM contributed an estimated $1.9 million to a Maine group that help to repeal the state measure allowing same sex marriage in 2009. Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, commended the ruling, saying that "This is an important law because it allows Maine voters to know who is trying to influence them with respect to ballot questions. It is a good decision for transparency in politics." Californians Against Hate, marriage equality advocates, requested that the Maine ethics commission investigate NOM's activity, alleging that they had violated Maine campaign finance law by raising and spending more than $5,000 to help overturn the state law allowing same sex marriage but not following the reporting requirements. That investigation is what led to NOM challenging the Maine election law. Maine law does not set spending limits on out-of-state organization. NOM has yet to announce whether it will appeal the ruling.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports, Governor Neil Abercrombie announced he would sign into law a civil unions bill on Wednesday, a day ahead of that originally planned. The state Senate on Wednesday voted 18-5 to approve Senate Bill 232, which legalizes civil unions in the state, and allows both same sex and opposite sex couples the opportunity to enter into a civil union, a legal status that will afford the same benefits, responsibilities, and rights as those allowed opposite sex couples in traditional marriage. The ceremony will take place at 2:00 pm, and video will be streamed live via the governor’s web site.

The Telegraph reports that Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission is investigating whether “gay-only” guesthouses violate new laws intended to prevent people from being discriminated against in the provision of goods or services. In January, the Christian owners of a guesthouse in Cornwall became the first found guilty of discrimination under equality laws after they refused to let a homosexual couple stay in a double room, in a legal action supported by the EHRC. The EHRC released a statement that read in part “As discriminatory issues concerning 'Christian' bed and breakfast establishments and hotels have been officially brought to our attention, and as we are testing the law in this area, there is a need for the Commission to establish an 'objective balance'. We are, therefore, looking in to the matter of 'gay-only' hotels'/B&B establishments and the potentially discriminatory policies towards heterosexual couples that some of those 'gay-only' establishments may hold." The agency admits that it has not received one complaint from the public about exclusively homosexual establishments.

The Mirror reports that the day Prince William and Kate Middleton marry, the long-running drama Coronation Street will air its first same sex wedding, Coronation Street’s Sean Dully and Marcus Dent due to wed April 29th. At the same time, on EastEnders, another marriage – an opposite sex one – between Phil Mitchell and Shirley Carter. Thirty years ago, Coronation Street’s Ken and Deirdre Barlow’s wedding attracted 24 million viewers on the day that Prince William’s own parents Charles and Diana walked down the aisle at St Paul’s Cathedral. ITV bosses hope a similar number of viewers will be attracted this time. A Coronation Street source says that “Top-brass think with the country in frenzy over the royal wedding then it will be the perfect time to show Sean and Marcus tying the knot and trounce EastEnders.”

Taylor Lautner spotted sneaking out of Los Angeles gym Sunday.