Maine becomes the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage. The law will take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session in June.

From staff and wire reports May 6, 2009

Update: 2:50 p.m.

AUGUSTA -- Democratic Gov. John Baldacci today signed into law a bill allowing gay marriage, making Maine the fifth state to allow people of the same sex to wed.

The governor's signature came barely an hour after the measure won final approval from the Maine Senate, which voted 21-13, with one absent, to pass the law. The House passed the bill Tuesday.

The law's passage also sets up a likely referendum campaign, as opponentspledged to launch a petition drive to overturn the law at the statewide ballot box. 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 of equal 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.

Tuesday's vote moved New England closer to allowing same-sex marriage throughout the region.

New Hampshire legislators were also poised to send a gay marriage bill to their governor, who hasn't indicated whether he'll sign it. If he does, Rhode Island would be the region's sole holdout. The Maine bill authorizes marriage between any two people rather than between one man and one woman, as state law currently allows. Debate in the Senate was brief. Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, turned the gavel over to an openly gay member, Sen. Lawrence Bliss, D-South Portland, to preside over the final vote. Republican Sen. Debra Plowman of Hampden argued that the bill was being passed "at the expense of the people of faith."

"You are making a decision that is not well-founded," warned Plowman.

But Senate Majority Leader Philip Bartlett II said the bill does not compel religious institutions to recognize gay marriage.

"We respect religious liberties. ... This is long overdue," said Bartlett, D-Gorham.

Betsy Smith, executive director of Equality Maine, praised the bill’s passage.

“Today, the Legislature heard the stories loud and clear. The governor heard their stories loud and clear,” she said. “Today, discrimination against gay and lesbian families has finally been ended.”

Opponents of gay marriage said they were disappointed in the governor, and in his decision to sign the bill so quickly.

“We feel he kind of shortchanged us all,” said The Rev. Bob Emrich, pastor of Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church in Plymouth and a founder of the Maine Marriage Alliance, which opposes the law. “But that’s his prerogative. He’s the governor.”

Maine is now the fourth state in New England to allow same-sex marriages.

Connecticut enacted a bill after being ordered to allow gay marriages by the

courts, and Vermont passed a bill over the governor's veto. New Hampshire's House was also expected to vote on a bill today and send it to Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat.

Massachusetts' high court has ordered the state to recognize gay marriages.

In Rhode Island, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage has been introduced but is not expected to pass this year.

Outside New England, Iowa is recognizing gay marriages on court orders. The practice was briefly legal in California before voters banned it.

12:45 p.m.

AUGUSTA – Democratic Gov. John Baldacci today signed into law a bill allowing gay marriage, making Maine the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage.

The governor's signature came barely an hour after the measure won final approval in the state Legislature, with a final 21-13 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 of equal 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.

The governor's signature means the law would take effect in 90 days after the end of the legislative session. It may not, however, be the last word: Opponents of same-sex marriage are gearing up to mount a so-called "people's veto" campaign that would put the issue to a statewide vote in November.