News

Lawsuit seeks to invalidate citizen’s initiative to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports in Maine

Lawsuit seeks to invalidate citizen’s initiative to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports in Maine

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


A citizen’s initiative to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls’ sports teams is in Maine is the target of a lawsuit.

The suit filed on Friday claims that the citizen’s initiative isn’t valid because of issues with the signatures that were collected, including duplicate signatures and signatures from non-Maine voters.

It also claims that some petitioners didn’t give people an opportunity to read the ballot initiative summary before signing, which would violate state law.

The suit was filed by Maine residents Jane Gilbert, Mark Sayre and Kaitlin Webber in Cumberland County Superior Court.

Earlier this month, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said the petition effort was valid.

The suit is asking the court to overturn Bellows’ decision or send it back to her for reconsideration.

Latest Headlines

40 minutes ago in Local

Police arrest driver who they say struck 3 police cruisers in South Portland

Fresh

An Augusta woman is charged with OUI after police say she crashed into three police cruisers Friday night in South Portland.

5 hours ago in Local

Portland Police Locate Missing 17-Year-Old Girl from NH During Traffic Stop

Officers say they pulled over a vehicle at the intersection of Hanover and Lancaster streets.

6 hours ago in Trending, World

Late Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy still looms over British monarchy 100 years after her birth

Queen Elizabeth II lives on at the Cool Britannia gift shop across the road from Buckingham Palace. Four years after the queen's death, the shop is doing a brisk business in mugs, tea towels and key rings bearing the likeness of Britain's longest-reigning monarch as the nation marks the centenary of her birth on Tuesday.

19 hours ago in Local

Kittery Man is Maine’s Top Finisher in Boston Marathon

Results reported by the Boston Athletic Association show there were 165 entries from Maine in the race.

20 hours ago in Local

Wildfire Awareness Week Declared in Maine

Maine has experienced 71 wildfires that have burned 48 acres so far in April.