Lawmakers in Maine have passed on
approving a gay marriage proposal, a clear sign they want voters to
settle the issue, the AP reported.
Gay marriage supporters, led by
EqualityMaine, submitted more than 105,000 signatures for its
citizen-initiated bill, which would legalize gay nuptials in the
state.
Lawmakers have an option to approve the
bill as proposed or vote it down, which sends it to voters for their
approval. On Tuesday, the House killed the bill. The Senate went
along with the House on Wednesday.
The issue is a redo for Maine. In
2009, lawmakers approved a gay marriage bill. However, opponents
narrowly repealed the law with a “people's veto” at the ballot
box, known as Question 1.
Citing various polls, supporters say
Maine is ready to become the first state to approve marriage equality
at the ballot box.
A poll
released earlier this month found a majority (54%) of Maine
voters think that gay marriage should be legal, while 41 percent
think it should not.
Bishop Richard
Malone earlier announced that the Diocese of Maine, which
contributed $500,000 to the 2009 campaign to repeal the law, would
concentrate on teaching Catholics about how it defines marriage
instead of becoming politically involved in the upcoming campaign.