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Loading ...Gay foes move to halt Maine gay marriage law
05.07.2009 7:07pm EDT
(Augusta, Maine) Opponents of same-sex marriage have wasted no time in moving to block Maine’s new law allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed.
The conservative Maine Marriage Alliance filed a challenge Thursday with Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap. The challenge was filed under the state’s “people’s veto” provision.It allows for a referendum to overturn laws if opponents can collect enough signatures. The group will need to get the signatures of at least 10 percent of the people who voted in the last governor’s election to force a referendum this November.
The signature-collecting deadline will probably fall in mid-September, Dunlap said.
The marriage bill was signed Wednesday by Gov. John Baldacci minutes after it received final approval in the legislature.
The new law repeals Maine’s 12-year-old so-called Defense of Marriage law, which banned same-sex marriage. The new law states that churches would not be compelled to conduct same-sex weddings if it would be inconsistent with their doctrine. Its passage made Maine the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage.
The Alliance had warned Baldacci that if he signed the bill, it would press for a constitutional amendment. Alliance leader Rev. Bob Emrich said he believes voters will overturn the law.
But new research released shortly after the bill was signed shows a major impact on the Maine economy as a result of gay marriage.
The study, by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, shows that by allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maine, the state budget will experience a boost of approximately $8 million per year.
The impact would be the result of an increase in state income and sales tax revenue as well as savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefit programs the institute said.
Frankly, I think Jessi’s idea of grabbing Pen and Petitions with names is the funniest act of civil disobedience that I can think of. Go, Jessi!!
I grew up in Maine. Spent 26 tortured years there as a gay man, knowing since the 3rd grade that I liked boys – sexually. I am so proud of my home state joining in on Equal Rights for all citizens.
Work hard folks. Don’t let those narrowminded, bible thumpers win this battle.
We need to be advertising in Maine NOW. Keep reminding people that no church is forced to act against its doctrine. It may be enough to stave off a referendum. If it does come to a referendum, we can still win. The wingnuts wouldn’t be so hysterical if they were acting from a position of power. They know support is building for marriage equality. They know people are getting tired of using the legal system to create obstacles for and discrimination against a segment of the population. They’re losing and we’re winning.
Maine Republican Sen. Debra Plowman of Hampden argued that the bill was being passed “at the expense of the people of faith.” In as much as the new marriage equality law does not force “people of faith” — or anyone else — into same-sex marriage, her argument is specious and divisive.
To the contrary, it is Ms. Plowman and her bigoted “people of faith,” seeking to force everyone into opposite-sex marriage at the expense of fairness and of equal protection under the law, who are the enemies of freedom and justice in this Land of Freedom and Justice for All.
Oh wonderful! Now our Civil Rights are up for grabs by backwater, inbred central northern mainers! LMAO!
Sure, it’s fine if a region benefits financially from Equal Marriage. But don’t let that influence your thinking. This is not a financial issue; it’s a human rights issue.
It is dangerous to start people thinking that the only reason any region would want to support Equal Marriage is because it will bring in money. With that kind of logic, the equal acceptance of ANY group of people becomes measured by how much revenue they generate, and that is not good.
The laws should read: “regardless of sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, ability/disability, financial status, education, etc.” That is human rights.
When the law says: “based on the amount of revenue your minority will bring in…” then we’re screwed royally.
So, is there a hold placed on same-gender marriage? I’m disappointed that this very important piece of information was not covered in this article.
From the article:
“The study, by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, shows that by allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maine, the state budget will experience a boost of approximately $8 million per year.
The impact would be the result of an increase in state income and sales tax revenue as well as savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefit programs the institute said.”
I think it ironic that after Prop 8 passed here in California, the governor two days after the election, stated that the state was in financial trouble. And the state still is in trouble.
If Prop 8 had failed, I’m not saying that the state would be in a better financial position, however, it would have greatly benefited the state’s coffers. After all, over 18,000 people got married in the 5 months it was legal, which bought in a lot of revenue to the state in the form of taxes. Even the marriage certificate, which in my area is $68.00, brought in over $1 million. Not to mention jobs, such as wedding planners, photographers, florists, etc. Where are they now? Most are unemployed.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Hopefully, neither in that lesbian couple in their 80s from Freeport dies while this group delays their marriage. Time matters a lot to some of us. But these people don’t care about how this impacts real people.
They’re not going to go away anytime soon. The Left doesn’t have anything RESEMBLING the fortunes available to the Right from Scaife, Ahmanson, and the rest of the Nine Families. Google “Larry Kramer Cooper Union Speech” to learn more about the mega-bucks behind the attempted Dominionist / Christian Reconstructionist takeover of America. They organized around the Eugenics Movement in the 1930s; Hitler co-opted Eugenics and drove them underground; they re-surfaced in the 1960s and VOWED to halt the progress of African-Americans, women, and GLBTQAI people. They will maintain the wealthy conservative white male protestant oligarchy at any and all costs. Mormons and Roman Catholics who make common cause them will find themselves thrown under the bus first thing if they ever DO win. They are fanatics; they are dangerous; and, most important for us, THEY WILL NEVER GIVE UP!
why do they care…? It clearly says that if your religious denomination doesn’t believe in gay marriage, you aren’t required by law to recognize these marriages in your church.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t their main defense against gay marriage religious issues?
First they groused that “activist courts” pushed equal rights for gays, and that the issue should have to go through elected legislatures and governors. Now, when it goes through the elected legislature and governor, they grouse that it should go to a popular referendum. Once it goes to a referendum and loses, what will they say then? I just hope the crazies don’t turn violent.
I think it’s funny that everytime a pro-equality piece of legislation passes they have to plug another hole in their bigotry ship. They’re doing a lot of plugging lately. I think she’s just going to sink. We’ll be reaching critical mass soon.
if anyone approaches you with a petition to sign, take the pen as if you will sign, grab the petition and run like hell.
steal their signatures, as they want to steal your rights
So to be proactive they’re offering a counter proposal that would be exactly equal to marriage, right? Legislation is about solving problems. This one does. They’re offering solutions, right? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?
Or are they just the No people? They can keep walking thenselves into obscurity. Just having this debate gets more people to the pro-equality side no matter what a voter outcome this year is. The fact that all of New England is going this way doesn’t help them. It will happen….