Maine: Michael Heath

March 19, 2009 - 09:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

New same-sex bill aims to avoid ‘culture war’

AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill that would extend the rights of spouses to domestic partners in Maine instead of allowing same-sex couples to marry was printed Wednesday.

Its sponsor, Rep. Leslie Fossel, R-Alna, said Thursday that his measure would avoid a “culture war” over gay marriage but extend the same rights and responsibilities that married couples have to people enrolled in the state’s domestic partner registry.

A bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine was printed last week.

Proponents of same-sex marriage said they would oppose Fossel’s bill because it would create a separate institution for gay and lesbian couples while supporters of traditional marriage said they would oppose both bills.

March 13, 2009 - 10:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Battle heats up as same-sex marriage bill printed

AUGUSTA, Maine — The battle over marriage revved up Friday as a bill that would make Maine the third state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed rolled off the printing press and a date for a public hearing on LD 1020 was announced.

Sen. Dennis S. Damon, D-Trenton, said Thursday in a press release that he had garnered more than 60 co-sponsors for An Act to End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom. The hearing on the bill is set for April 24 at Cony High School in Augusta before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

LD 1020, according to Damon, would:

• Codify civil marriage as the legally recognized union of two people.

February 15, 2009 - 10:00 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Same-sex marriage foes rally in capital

AUGUSTA, Maine — Supporters of traditional marriage gathered Sunday night at the Augusta Civic Center to voice their opposition to a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine and a competing measure that would extend to domestic partners the same benefits married couples have.

Representatives of the Maine Family Policy Council, formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine, the Maine Jeremiah Project, Concerned Women for America of Maine and the Roman Catholic Diocese participated in the “Stand for Marriage Rally.”

“This is a national battle being fought on every front,” Tony Perkins, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian Family Resource Council, told the crowd that filled three large function rooms in the civic center.

Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:22

Committee sends casino initiative to voters

Dennis Bailey has his year’s work cut out for him, as another gambling referendum is coming up for vote this November. And this one’s a doozy.

Wednesday afternoon the Legislature’s Legal and Veteran’s Affairs Committee rejected the citizen’s referendum to bring a casino to Western Maine, sending it out to voters.

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Thu, 01/17/2008 - 08:05

Huck’s Central Maine "army" gets mobilized

Several people wanted to volunteer for Mike Huckabee in Maine, but no one would step up to lead the group.

Finally, a stay-at-home mom with no campaign experience grabbed the torch.

Hartland resident Amy Hale was later pleased to find out that the people leading volunteer efforts in New Hampshire and Rhode Island were also stay-at-home moms and political outsiders.

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