• Sec. 5. 19-A MRSA §655, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 3. Affirmation of religious freedom. This Part does not authorize any court or other state or local governmental body, entity, agency or commission to compel, prevent or interfere in any way with any religious institution's religious doctrine, policy, teaching or solemnization of marriage within that particular religious faith's tradition as guaranteed by the Maine Constitution, Article 1, Section 3 or the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. A person authorized to join persons in marriage and who fails or refuses to join persons in marriage is not subject to any fine or other penalty for such failure or refusal.
Clarifies that this act does not affect the rights of any church or other religious group to define "marriage" in its own terms for religious purposes; clearly separates "civil marriage" from "religious marriage," and specifies that this bill is only addressing the legal implications of "civil marriage."
• Sec. 6. 19-A MRSA §701, as amended by PL 2007, c. 695, Pt. C, §4, is further amended to remove the specific statutory bar to same-sex marriage contained in paragraph 5, which now reads: 5. Same sex marriage prohibited. Persons of the same sex may not contract marriage.
Deletes the line in Maine law that bans same-sex marriage.
• Other parts of the bill involve: 1) gender-neutral rewording of marriage-related language (example: changing the language prohibiting marrying close relatives from words barring a man from marrying his mother, grandmother, and so on, to language barring all people from marrying their parents, grandparents, etc.); 2) deleting the specific denial of marriage rights to Maine residents who got same-sex marriages elsewhere; 3) language that is not being changed by the bill, or is only being changed in minor clerical ways (such as to correctly count the number of paragraphs or sections in the bill).
Related:
Jubilation!, A deadly move against same-sex marriage, Don't be spooked, More 
- Jubilation!
We can all thank the conservatives who several years ago controlled the state legislature for the fact that Massachusetts citizens have same-sex- marriage rights.
- A deadly move against same-sex marriage
Senate president Travaglini has been clear for some time that he opposes same-sex marriage-rights. List of shame: Those who voted to allow a referendum of the right of gays and lesbians to marry
- Don't be spooked
The move to make gay marriage unconstitutional should haunt people of good will. Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment? Sign the petition .
- California matters
For four years, and 10,000 same-sex nuptials, Massachusetts has had a monopoly on gay marriage in the United States.
- Advocates cite concern on bill for civil unions
In the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, leaders of Rhode Island’s same-sex marriage movement are concerned that new legislation could prevent the eventual granting of full marriage rights for gays and lesbians.
- Mass court OKs border crossings for RI same-sexers
Now that a Massachusetts judge has found that Rhode Island couples can legally marry in the Bay State, same-sex marriage proponents hope the decision will help rally their troops and enhance their case at the General Assembly in the coming year.
- Saving Marriage
Roth and Henning, dedicated partisans, were everywhere with their cameras in those historic years 2003–2006.
- Gay marriage debate comes to Maine
Even as same-sex marriage supporters across the country reel from the Election Day approval of California's Proposition 8 — which changed that state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman — they are optimistic about bringing gay marriage to Maine, possibly in the upcoming legislative session.
- The gays can not be stopped!
The national LGBT equality group Join the Impact hopes to galvanize sympathizers across the country to demonstrate in their home towns on Saturday, January 10, in protest of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
- Legislature will take up gay marriage this session
Maine lawmakers are certain to debate gay marriage in 2009, with competing marriage-related bills slated to be filed with the Legislature this week.
- Same-sex marriage
From the podium at EqualityMaine's 25th anniversary dinner last Saturday night, former state senator Ethan Strimling posed a question to the 630 people in attendance: If gay marriage were allowed in Maine, how many of you would tie the knot?
- Less
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