Maine Morning Star - A Superior Court judge on Tuesday upheld the secretary of state’s decision to invalidate the anti-transgender referendum that had been slated for the November ballot. After months of back and forth, that means the citizen-led initiative seeking to limit what school sports teams, bathrooms, and locker rooms trans students can access ultimately fell about 500 signatures short of the legal threshold to qualify.
“We are pleased with the Court’s decision affirming the Secretary of State’s determination that this petition failed to qualify for the ballot,” said Ben Stafford, a partner at Elias Law Group, who represented Maine voters who challenged the petitions. “Today’s ruling confirms that Maine’s signature requirements were not met and the law was applied fairly.”
In a statement, the citizen group behind the initiative said it is “committed to continuing its efforts to allow the people of Maine to vote on the Protect Girls Sports legislation at the November general election.”
On June 11, Superior Court Justice Deborah Cashman denied Protect Girls Sports’ appeal. The signature gathering practices of the group first came into question in March, when three voters sued the Secretary of State for initially finding the petition valid.
In April, Cashman remanded the case back to the Secretary of State’s Office for a final determination. On May 12, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien and Assistant Attorney General Jon Bolton held an hourslong hearing during which both sides presented their arguments. Through the course of that hearing, a pattern of improper signature collection emerged with out-of-state signature collectors admitting to leaving petition forms unattended, writing on the forms, and failing to sign required affidavits.
Midcoast Federal Credit Union and GFCC at Mast Landing annual Cornhole Tournament - $50.00 for Pre-registration. $60 day of (if any spots are left) Cornhole Bags Provided. In the event of rain, the Tourney will be rescheduled to Thursday, June 25th. Register
A Conversation on Sustainability:D r. Katherine Richardson is a professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen and leader of its Sustainability Science Centre. Dr. Deborah Bronk is CEO and President of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Tickets are $20 (plus Eventbrite fee), available through Eventbrite... When: Thursday, June 18, 2026 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM...Where: Freeport Performing Arts Center, 30 Holbrook St, Freeport, ME....Details: FreeportSpeech.org