Maine
The wizard lobby is wading into Maine’s fight over gay marriage. The Harry Potter Alliance, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that is “dedicated to bringing the themes of Harry Potter into the real world” announced today a grassroots effort to help defeat a Nov. 3 ballot initiative in Maine that seeks to repeal a recent state law legalizing same sex marriage.
New opposition has emerged in the debate about Question 5, a proposed expansion of the state’s medical-marijuana law that would allow nonprofit dispensaries to distribute the drug. Don LaRouche, of Madison, a medical-marijuana patient, and the Maine Prosecutors Association recently took public stands against the measure, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. LaRouche said he’s the spokesman for Maine Citizens for Medical Marijuana, an offshoot of Maine Vocals, a group that has for years wanted to legalize marijuana.
At their next meeting, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, town councilors are expected to discuss two ballot referendum questions that, if passed, will have a significant impact on local government and services. The proposed initiatives are LD 974, “An Act to Decrease the Automobile Excise Tax and Promote Energy Efficiency,” and LD 976, the so-called “Taxpayer Bill of Rights II” or “TABOR II,” which would limit state and local government spending and require voter approval ”” by referendum ”” for any spending over those limits, or to increase state taxes. Both will appear on the November ballot.
By now, each side could make the other’s point. Question 2 on the November referendum ballot would reduce Maine’s automobile excise tax on newer vehicles and offer an estimated $80 million in tax relief. To the initiative’s supporters, it’s that simple. “Vote yes, pay less,” Chris Cinquemani, chairman of the Yes on 2 campaign, repeated at a forum Wednesday in Brewer.
Several states –including Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming – ban or restrict paying people who collect signatures on a ballot initiative, referendum or recall petition based on the number of signatures they collect. Payment-per-signature allows citizens greater certainty in judging the cost of a petition effort. Moreover, in states that have passed such bans, the cost of successfully completing a petition drive has risen considerably, sometimes more than doubling.
In a random drawing this morning, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap determined the order of questions that will appear on the November 3rd ballot. The four citizen-initiated questions will be on the ballot after the people’s veto question of whether to repeal the state’s newly-enacted gay marriage law.
A citizens’ initiative has been organized to try to get Bangor and Brewer to work together. Some folks in Brewer would like the two cities to collaborate in an effort to save both money. They already work together on several things, like joint purchasing. Arthur Verow, the mayor of Brewer, believes the twin cities could operate more efficiently by working together.
Owners of self-storage and other small businesses in Maine are joining local legislators in attempting to repeal a recent tax-reform law that adds a 5 percent sales tax to their services. Signed by Gov. John Baldacci in June, the measure also reduces the state income tax and increases the meals and lodging tax. The sales tax is to be applied to a wide range of services, including self-storage, admission to museums and amusement parks, and taxi rides.
Republican opponents of a new law that broadens the state sales tax vow to overturn it at the ballot box through a so-called “people’s veto”. But the sole political action committee set up to organize the movement has thus far failed to garner any financial support. GOP leaders, however, maintain that unlike other people’s veto campaigns with paid circulators, theirs will be a true grass roots initiative.
A City Council subcommittee debated at length Tuesday about whether Bangor should come out in opposition of two polarizing statewide referendum questions, but the discussion largely focused on whether taking a clear position was prudent action.
For many it seems as though 2008’s historic election season has barely just wrapped up. Not so for ballot initiative proponents who are already looking ahead to the next election. Already there are citizen sponsored initiatives on the ballot in three states: Ohio, Maine, and Washington. Numerous other efforts are going on all over the country to collect signatures in the hopes of qualifying for the ballot.
Measures on the ballot for November 2009
Maine -
- Excise Tax Repeal - November 3rd
- Act to Promote Tax Relief - November 3rd
- Medical Marijuana Initiative - November 3rd
- Act to Repeal School District Consolidation Laws - November 3rd
Ohio -
- Ohio Casino Initiative (pending) - November 3rd
- Ohio Livestock Care Standards Amendment (Legislative Referral) - November 3rd
Washington -
Looking to overturn a bill signed by Governor John Baldacci in May approving same sex marriage, Stand For Marriage Maine announced today that they have collected more than the 55,087 signatures needed to place a People’s Veto on the November ballot and are collecting additional signatures as insurance to meet the deadline to qualify the measure for the 2009 statewide election.
The law was opposed by Maine’s business community, which dropped some of its objections with the final version. The Maine Republican Party is leading the repeal effort. The Secretary of State approved language for a referendum last week and backers have until Sept. 11 to gather the roughly 55,000 signatures required to get the question on the November ballot.
Contact the Citizen State Coordinator in your state to get involved protecting and expanding the initiative and referendum process. If you don’t see a Coordinator listed for your state, click here to apply.
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National Citizen Coordinator - Greg Schmid
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Arizona - Eric Ehst
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California - Bruce Cohen
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