Maine Marriage Equality Advocates Announce Same Sex Marriage Measure Will Appear On November Ballot; If Successful State Will Be First To Pass Same Sex Marriage Legislation By Popular Vote

An update on a previous post, gay rights activists in Maine, the only New England state that doesn't allow gay marriage or civil unions, said Thursday that they are forging ahead with plans to put the marriage question up to a second state-wide vote. EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women's Lobby have collected more than 100,000 signatures — far more than needed to seek the referendum — and made their announcement Thursday at the State House. The Legislature previously approved same sex marriage, but it was rejected by a 2009 state-wide vote, 53-percent to 47-percent. If Mainers approve same sex marriage, the state would be the first to do so by a popular vote. According to The Associated Press, Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, said polling by gay marriage supporters indicates 54-percent of state residents now support same sex marriage. "The number of signatures we gathered and the thoughtful conversations we've been having with voters tell us that Mainers are eager to speak on this question again," she said. The new petition drive kicked off in August, and by November gay marriage supporters had collected more than 100,000 signatures, but supporters wanted to wait to make sure the timing was right before deciding whether to deliver those petitions to the secretary of state. To get gay marriage on the 2012 ballot, organizers needed to collect at least 57,277 signatures by January 30. If the signatures are certified, the proposal first goes to the Republican-controlled Legislature for an up-or-down vote. If the Legislature approves the proposal and the governor signs it, then gay marriage will be legalized. If the Legislature doesn't approve it or the governor doesn't sign a bill, as expected, the question goes to voters. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which opposes gay marriage, expressed disappointment that same sex marriage supporters chose to seek another vote so soon after the 2009 referendum. "After the bitterly divisive campaign of 2009, in which Maine people clearly and decisively voted against changing the meaning of marriage, we're dismayed that they would bring this issue back for yet another vote," Brian Souchet, a spokesman for the diocese, said in a statement. In New England, same sex marriage is allowed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont, and civil unions for same sex couples are allowed in Rhode Island. Other states that allow gay marriage are New York and Iowa, along with Washington, D.C. In the six states where gay-marriage is allowed, the laws all came through either court orders or legislative votes, not through a state-wide popular vote. Elsewhere, bills to legalize same-sex marriage have good chances of passage this year in legislatures in Maryland, New Jersey and Washington. Proposed amendments for constitutional bans on gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina on May 8 and in Minnesota on November 6.