AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine’s first lady is serving as chairwoman of a campaign aimed at giving crime victims rights under the state Constitution.

Ann LePage, wife of Republican Gov. Paul LePage, said crime victims deserve “common-sense equal rights.” The proposed constitutional amendment would need a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers before being sent to a statewide vote in November 2018.

Supporters of the amendment, dubbed Marsy’s Law, say crime victims have no protections under the Maine Constitution and that state laws are inadequate.

It was spurred by a California mother’s chance encounter with the man suspected of killing her daughter while the man was free on bail. Among other things, it ensures crime victims have the right to be notified if the offender in their case is released from jail.