Opponents to the gay rights bill passed earlier this year by the Legislature delivered what they said were 57,000 bona fide signatures to the Statehouse Tuesday afternoon – enough to put the issue on the ballot in November.
“The very same gay rights bill that has two times been rejected by the voters,” will be on the ballot again, said Michael Heath of the Christian Civic League, which organized petition gatherers under The Coalition for Marriage.
Heath said what Gov. John Baldacci did and what the Legislature did by passing the bill, without a referendum requirement attached, “was not appropriate” so voters would be “taking it up for the third time in seven years.”
While about 50 gay rights opponents held a rally and press conference on the Statehouse steps, a crowd of supporters aligned under the group, Maine Won’t Discriminate, gathered inside to say they are ready for a battle.
“We knew this day was inevitable,” said Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for the group. “We are ready and eager for the campaign to begin.”
The bill, which passed 91-58 in the House and 25-10 in the Senate, would add “sexual orientation” to the classes covered by the Maine Human Rights Act. That law already prohibits discrimination based on a person’s race, age, gender, religion or disability when it comes to employment, credit, housing, education and public accommodations.
Opponents to the bill claim it is the first step in allowing gay marriage in Maine.
“Unfortunately, their signature gathering effort has been based on fear, deceit and distortion, and that is the same kind of campaign we can expect from Michael Heath over the next four months,” said Connolly.
Both sides already are collecting money to wage a campaign and getting their supporters organized.
Paul Madore and his wife Sue of Lewiston helped organize the petition drive to get signature sheets in on time to allow town clerks to certify the names as registered voters.
Sue Madore said her husband and others suffered indignities during the drive, but it didn’t stop them.
“Some were spat upon, called names…slapped,” she said, but they persevered “to save what little morality we have left in this state.”
She said the gathering of 57,000 signatures in 87 days was nothing short of a miracle.
While the Christian Civic League was hinting last week it might not have the magic number of 50,519 names, organizers said close to 12,000 signatures came in during the final 24 hours.
Gov. Baldacci, who proposed the legislation, which was sponsored by Republican Senator Karl Turner of Cumberland, said, his administration would “fight” to keep the law on the books when the governor signed it in March.
“There are some in this state who want to move us backward,” Baldacci said. “Maine is the only New England state that does not offer these civil rights protections. We need to show that our doors are open to all people.”
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