AUGUSTA, MAINE -- The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today announced that it will join the Maine Marriage Coalition to push for a People's Veto of the same-sex marriage bill signed into law by Governor John Baldacci. Robert Emrich of Maine Marriage Alliance and Marc Mutty of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland are leading the coalition effort and filed for a People's Veto to overturn Governor John Baldacci's signature of the same-sex marriage bill this morning.

"NOM stands foursquare with our colleagues in Maine to give voters the ability to overturn this misguided legislation by referendum," said Brian Brown, executive director of NOM. "We will devote staff, volunteers and resources to this battle in Maine. Marriage means a man and a woman, and we will work hard to ensure that voters in Maine have the ability to do what voters in every other state where they have had a chance have done and stand up for marriage as we have always known it." NOM was a pivotal player in the California Proposition 8 campaign. The group raised over $3 million to support the campaign and was instrumental in helping secure the signatures to qualify the measure to the ballot. NOM is presently implementing a $1.5 million nationwide advertising campaign designed to recruit two million activists to support marriage in the states and at the federal level.

Qualifying a referendum to the ballot requires the signature of approximately 55,000 Maine voters.

"We believe there will be an uprising of support for marriage by people of every faith -- and no faith," said Brown. "This issue stirs passion and motivates people to get involved. We are committed to being part of the coalition that gives voters the right to decide this issue for themselves."