State Feed: Maine

Maine: Renewable Energy Referendum Pushed Back Year

AmandaKathryn — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:14:18 -0500

A coalition that’s pushing for a referendum to set a state minimum for renewable energy in Maine fell short of the voters’ signatures needed by Monday’s deadline to force a November vote.

While Maine Citizens for Clean Energy missed the deadline to file the petitions with state election officials, the group promised to continue to gather signatures in hopes of sending a ballot initiative to voters next year. At least 57,277 voters’ signatures must be certified to put the proposal on the ballot.

Maine: State Poised for 2nd Public Vote on Gay Marriage

AmandaKathryn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:13:39 -0500

Gay marriage supporters in Maine say they’re moving forward to put the issue up for a statewide vote this year.

Three activist groups have collected far more than the 50,000-some signatures needed to put gay marriage on the ballot and said Thursday that they intend to submit their petitions.

Ballotpedia's Final Analysis on 2011 Statewide Ballot Measures Released

AmandaKathryn — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:36:18 -0500

Ballotpedia’s final analysis on donations to all 2011 statewide ballot measure campaigns has been released; the donations add up $85 million.

The report reveals some interesting information like the fact that the state with the highest contributions from all campaign sides from all ballot measures was in Ohio. The least amount of contributions was in Arkansas.

You can also find an overview of the contributions from supporters & opponents, a ranking of ballot measures from the most to the least contributions, and the ranking of political topic contributions where “labor” shows the most donations in Ohio on Issue 2.

Check out Ballotpedia’s analysis here.

Maine: Signs that Ballot Initiative Supporting Gay Marriage will Move Forward

AmandaKathryn — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:36:59 -0500

Last fall, EqualityMaine and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, or GLAD, collected nearly 105,000 signatures ahead of a possible ballot initiative in November 2012. Although the groups say they will wait until early 2012 to decide whether to proceed with another campaign, but there are signs that the effort may move ahead.

For one, demographics are starting to favor gay marriage. It’s no secret that younger voters tend to favor allowing same-sex couples to marry while older voters are more often against the practice.

Read the full story at The Portland Daily Sun.

Maine: Gambling initiatives on the ballot today for voters

Trevor Ford — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:37:48 -0500

Voters heading to the polls today can be forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu: They will cast ballots on two more gambling initiatives, bringing the total to eight in 11 years. Also on the ballot is a referendum aimed at restoring same-day voter registration and a constitutional amendment dealing with congressional district boundaries.

Read the story from The Boston Globe

Maine: Initiative would mandate more power from renewables

Trevor Ford — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:07:31 -0400

Six years before Maine utility companies are required to get at least 10 percent of their power from renewable energy sources, a coalition of Maine businesses, organizations and individuals is trying to get that amount doubled. And if the Maine Citizens for Clean Energy coalition gets its way, Maine’s utilities would have just three more years to do it.

Read the story from the Bangor Daily News

MAINE: Two Gaming Initiatives on November Ballot

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:28:47 -0400

Maine voters have two issues related to gaming on the ballot in the general election on November 8, and Penobscot County voters will see a third issue as well.

MAINE: Two Gaming Initiatives on November Ballot

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:28:47 -0400

Maine voters have two issues related to gaming on the ballot in the general election on November 8, and Penobscot County voters will see a third issue as well.

Maine Gay marriage advocates gather petition signatures

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:17:24 -0400

Local activists for Equality Maine rallied throughout southern York County over the weekend to collect signatures for a petition to put gay marriage on the state ballot in 2012. About 57,000 signatures are needed statewide to get the item on the ballot, and organizers hope to gather about 80,000.

Maine: Divided Senate on gaming initiatives

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:27:25 -0400

The Maine Senate cast split votes on two gambling bills Thursday, voting for one that would allow racinos in Biddeford and Washington County and against one that would allow a casino in Lewiston. With vetoes expected if the bills are sent to Gov. Paul LePage, who has said he wants voters to decide whether to expand gambling in the state, the citizens initiatives are likely to remain alive regardless of legislative action.

Read the story from The Portland Press Herald

Maine: Voters will decide on casino issues

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:18:50 -0400

Maine may have a new governor and the first Republican-controlled Legislature in decades, but little has changed when it comes to setting policy on gambling. It appears that voters, not lawmakers, still make the big decisions. The Legislature is faced with 13 bills that would amend the state’s gaming laws. It also has to decide the fate of two ballot initiatives that seek to open up new gambling operations in Lewiston, Biddeford and Washington County.

Read the story from The Portland Press Herald

Maine: Petition signatures for Racison filed

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:15:17 -0500

The backers of a proposed racino in Biddeford filed more than 76,000 signatures with the state Wednesday for a citizens’ initiative that would allow the proposal and a similar one in Washington County to move forward. The initiative aims to change provisions of Maine’s gambling law that now prevent the projects from being built.

Read the story from The Portland Press Herald

Maine: Recount challenge halted by opposing group

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:37:27 -0500

Opponents of a casino in Oxford County have given up their recount effort. The ballot initiative passed on Election Day by a margin of less than one percent, prompting the recount. But opponents decided to call off the recount after about a fifth of the ballots were re-tallied with little change in the initial results.

Read the story from the Maine Public Broadcasting Network

Common Sense: The Maine Con

Paul — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:52:09 -0500

Should taxpayers be forced to fund their own foes?

Citizens in Charge Foundation President Calls on 12 States to End Unconstitutional Election Laws

Staff — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:43:47 -0400

Last week Citizens in Charge Foundation - a partner organization to Citizens in Charge - sent a letter to Secretaries of State and Attorneys General in 12 states asking them to stop enforcing unconstitutional restrictions on ballot initiative rights. In light of recent legal action in which Kansas officials agreed with petition advocates that the state’s law against petition circulators from other states was unconstitutional, Foundation President Paul Jacob asked officials to “do the right thing” and stop enforcing similar

Maine: City ballot initiative could let non-citizens vote

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:04:35 -0400

A proposal on the city’s ballot to give noncitizens the right to vote in municipal elections was the focus of a student-moderated forum Wednesday at Portland High School. The forum, hosted by Antoinette Skillings’ law and public policy class, included residents on both sides of the issue, advocates for immigrants and city officials who will enact the proposal if it’s approved. The forum was videotaped and will air on local cable television starting Tuesday.

Read the story from the Morning Sentinel

Citizen Initiatives Update

Staff — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:20:29 -0400

A quick update on the citizen initiative votes from yesterday in California and Maine.

California’s citizen initiatives, Prop 16 and 17, were both defeated at the polls yesterday. Prop 16 voted down by a 52.3% to 47.7% margin. Prop 17 lost 51.7% to 48.3%.

California and Maine Head to Polls

Staff — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:20:04 -0400

In addition to the many primary elections happening today around the country, voters in California and Maine are also voting on state-wide ballot questions.

California has 5 state-wide measures up for a vote today, but only two are citizen initiatives, Prop 16 and Prop 17.

Mary Adams Honored for Her Work Protecting Maine’s Initiative & Referendum Process

Staff — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:46:59 -0400

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented Maine Citizen State Coordinator Mary Adams with the June 2010 John Lilburne Award. Adams is being honored this month for her work over the decades in not only utilizing, but defending and expanding the initiative & referendum process in the state of Maine.

Maine: Casino measure wording finalized

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:29:11 -0400

Maine’s secretary of state has decided upon the wording of a citizen initiative question that will be on the Nov. 2 ballot asking voters if they want to allow a casino in western Maine. Matthew Dunlap says the question will read: “Do you want to allow a casino with table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local and tribal programs?”

Read the story from WBZ 38