News[JURIST] Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap [official website] announced Thursday that the issue of whether to repeal the state's newly enacted gay rights law has qualified for the November state ballot. The proposed "Act to Extend Civil Rights Protections to All People Regardless of Sexual Orientation" [text] adds the term "sexual orientation" to the classes already protected under the Maine Human Rights Act [text], but specifically states it cannot be construed to provide marriage rights to same-sex couples. It also exempts privately-funded religious groups from compliance with its provisions. Read Dunlap's press release. AP has more.
