"People's Veto" Campaign Against Marriage Equality Launches In Maine

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality chairman Mike Heath (who is also the head of the Maine Family Policy Council) is about to begin collecting petitions for a "People's Veto" of Maine's marriage equality bill.

The people of Maine know what marriage is,” said Heath. “Politicians pretend this debate is complicated and emotional. It isn’t. Maine people know the difference between right and wrong. What has been going on in Augusta for the past twenty years is a horrific farse.” In 1998 Heath campaigned for equal rights [against a pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” law]. He said he will do that again this time. He continued, “The other side has that part right. This is about equal rights. It is about making sure everyone has equal legal rights that are rooted in something substantial. Common sense tells all of us that you can’t give rights to people for doing wrong!” The Peoples Veto will begin as soon as the Secretary of State provides petitions to Heath. He said he looks forward to working with everyone in Maine who wants to preserve marriage and urged people to call 207-592-4137 or e-mail him at mike@mainefpc.com.

Last week Maine's Senate approved the bill 20-15. Maine Gov. John Baldacci has not definitively said if he will sign the bill, but recently appeared to be open to doing so.

Last June, when the Maine Family Policy Council was known as the Christian Civic League, Mike Heath called off an attempt to repeal the state's gay rights law, saying the group didn't have the money or volunteers to succeed.

"We're pulling the plug," said Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine. Heath said the evangelical group failed to attract voter, volunteer and financial support it needed to continue its campaign. The group collected only a third of the 15,000 voters' signatures it had set as a goal for primary election day June 10, said Heath. He added said that potential volunteers "don't want to be aligned with bigotry and homophobia and hatred," tags their opponents had applied to the initiative backers.

If Baldacci does sign the bill, same-sex marriage will become legal in Maine 90 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session on June 17. Heath and his haters will have to gather 55,087 petition signatures during that time in order to force a November referendum.