Gov. John Baldacci signed L.D. 1020, An Act To End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom, making Maine the fifth state in the U.S. to allow gay marriage.
Baldacci, who hadn’t indicated previously whether he would sign the bill, held a press conference at 12:30 to announce his decision. “I have followed closely the debate on this issue. I have listened to both sides, as they have presented their arguments during the public hearing and on the floor of the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives. I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully,” Baldacci said in a press release. “I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste.”
The bill will go into effect in 90 days.
The bill passed both the House and the Senate with wide support, though not with the two-thirds supermajority needed to override a veto. The Senate passed the bill 21-14 initially and 21-13 after the House voted on it. The House passed the bill 89-57.
Polling shows the state essentially tied on the issue. More than 4,000 people attended an 11-hour open forum in Augusta where more than 200 people voiced their opinions on the bill before the judiciary committee. There is support for a referendum that will in effect be a citizen’s veto. However, the referendum won’t be able to come up to a vote until next year.
Maine follows Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa in allowing same sex marriages. New Hampshire’s legislature is expected to approve a similar bill this week.
Tags: baldacci, gay marriage, maine
