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| Sec. 18. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at general election; form of question; | | effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the | | State of Maine at the next general election in the month of | | November following passage of this Act. The municipal officers of | | this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, | | towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for | | holding a statewide election, to vote on the acceptance or | | rejection of this Act by voting on the following question: |
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| | | "Do you favor ratifying the action of the 119th Legislature | | whereby it passed an Act extending to all citizens | | regardless of their sexual orientation the same civil rights | | protections now guaranteed to citizens on the basis of race, | | color, religion, sex, age, national origin and physical or | | mental disability in the areas of employment, housing, | | public accommodations and credit and where the Act expressly | | states that nothing in the Act confers legislative approval | | of, or special rights to, any person or group of persons?" |
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| | | The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote | | by ballot on this question and shall designate their choice by a | | cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below | | the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, | | counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings | | and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as | | votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review | | the returns and, if it appears that a majority of the legal votes | | are cast in favor of the Act, the Governor shall proclaim that | | fact without delay, and the Act takes effect 30 days after the | | date of the proclamation. |
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| | | The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, | | town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Act | | necessary to carry out the purpose of this referendum. |
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| | | This bill ensures that all citizens, regardless of their | | sexual orientation, have the same civil rights protections now | | guaranteed in employment, housing, public accommodations and | | credit to citizens on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, | | age, national origin and physical or mental handicap. A | | religious organization that does not receive public funds is | | exempt from the prohibition against discrimination based on | | sexual orientation. The bill makes it clear that this change in | | the Maine Human Rights Act does not confer legislative approval | | of or special rights to anyone or any group. The bill also | | requires that this change in law be submitted to the voters at | | the next general election. |
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