Maine Gay Rights Supporters Launch New Referendum Campaign
Gay rights activists today launched a referendum campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine this fall. The annoucement comes more than two years after the Legislature approved gay nuptials, only to see the measure rejected in a referendum vote, 53 percent to 47 percent. If same-sex marriage passes at the polls, Maine could become the first state to approve gay marriage through a popular vote.
Every sign had been pointing to this announcement. Supporters had collected nearly double the number of signatures needed to get a same-sex marriage question on the ballot. TV ads supporting gay marriage had begun to run in the Bangor market.
Now, this: dozens of smiling people packed into a room at the State House, all giving Betsy Smith, executive director of Equality Maine, their rapt attention.
"The number of signatures we gathered, the liveliness and thougtfulness of the conversations we've had with Maine voters, and polling that shows a majority of support for marriage equality in Maine has shown us that Mainers are eager to speak on this issue again," Smith said.
http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/19993/Default.aspx
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