Maine Secretary of State Reverses Decision on Transgender Sports Referendum, Excludes from Ballot
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced that a citizen initiative aimed at limiting the rights of transgender students will not appear on the November ballot. This decision reverses her previous ruling that the proposal had qualified. The initiative sought to mandate separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on birth sex and restrict transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity. Bellows cited insufficient valid signatures as the reason for the reversal, following a detailed review that invalidated several signatures due to legal violations by out-of-state circulators. The Maine GOP criticized Bellows, accusing her of political bias, while the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, opposing the referendum, supported the decision. 
