Anti-gay marriage effort advances
Maine election officials on Tuesday approved the question that would appear on the ballot if opponents of the recently enacted same-sex marriage law collect enough signatures.
Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced that the question that will appear on petitions is “Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?”
Groups seeking to overturn the law, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland; the Maine Family Policy Council of Maine, formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine; and Maine Marriage Initiative could begin circulating petitions seeking to put the question on the ballot as early as Friday.
“We most likely won’t have petitioners out until after Memorial Day,” the Rev. Bob Emrich of the Maine Marriage Initiative said Tuesday afternoon. “We have to get petitions printed and distributed around the state. We also want to make sure that folks are properly trained in circulating petitions.”
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Iowans receiving calls from Rep. King
U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, has a reputation, and he’s not afraid to use it.
“For some reason my voice is distinct and people recognize my voice and also my name and they associate it whole family effort,” King said. “I don’t know if anybody in the state would do that message in a fashion that could be more effective.”
That message comes in the form of automated calls from King, who first asks whether residents throughout the state support the recent Iowa Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex marriage.
Resident Joni Gillispie supports the Supreme Court decision and told the congressman’s voice that when she answered the phone Tuesday afternoon. After that, all she heard was a click and dial tone telling her the call was over.
“If they say that this … judge-made law is a good idea, then we don’t keep them on the phone much longer than that, as you can imagine,” King said.
King is doing the calls in collaboration with long-time friend and head of the National Organization of Marriage Maggie Gallagher. He said he simply wanted to lend a hand to the organization’s effort. He said by working with NOM, it allows him to draw on their national resources, rather than take from Iowa.
“It’s important to get the message out and get them mobilized,” King said.
For those like resident Leo Hallowell who don’t agree with the decision, the calls ask the residents to contact their lawmakers to request a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. See
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