Citizens in Charge

The chairman of MDPetitions.com, Maryland Delegate Neil Parrott, announced that his most recent petition effort, a referendum on the so-called “Bathroom Bill,” fell short of its signature collection goal.

The petition needed to collect 18,579 signatures from registered state voters by May 31 and a total of 55,736 by June 30. But only 17,575 signatures had been collected by supporters of the referendum by the deadline.

The referendum petition sought to overturn a bill, signed into law by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley earlier this year, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. The most controversial provision in the legislation allows those who identify with a different gender to use that gender’s public restrooms. This raised concerns over the potential for abuse by sexual predators.

MDPetitions.com was successful in 2012 in placing three referendums on the ballot in the general election; all three were defeated.

http://thedailyrecord.com/2014/06/02/referendum-supporters-fall-short-of-goal/