Maine Governor John Baldacci signed into law the bill that legalizes same-sex marriage, which will go into effect 90 days from signing.
The governor’s signature came barely an hour after the measure won final approval in the state Legislature, with a final 31-8 vote in favor in the Maine Senate.
Baldacci said in a statement that while he has opposed gay marriage in the past, “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and ofequal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.
“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs,” the governor said. “It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of church and state.
“It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government,” Baldacci said.
Marriage equality opponents will likely mount a “people’s veto” referendum challenge to the new law for a special election in November, so the battle’s not over yet.
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