If Successful, Referendum Would Be on November 2009 Ballot
By Will Tuell
A group seeking to repeal Maine's school consolidation law announced in an e-mail June 27 that it had collected 92 percent of the signatures needed to force a referendum in November 2009. The Maine Coalition to Save Schools (MCSS), organized by former Democratic legislator Lawrence “Skip” Greenlaw of Stonington, has collected 50,771 signatures since beginning last November. In order to force a referendum, the group must collect 55,087 signatures within 18 months.
“The latest signature count reveals 50,771 signatures collected,” Greenlaw wrote, adding that the group's efforts to collect signatures at the June 10 primaries have yielded nearly 4,000 signatures to date, and that subsequent drives to secure signatures have generated another 4,000 or so.
“We collected 3,930 signatures on Election Day, while [professional circulators] collected 4,106 signatures,” said Greenlaw. He said that some who volunteered to collect signatures have not got their numbers in as yet. “Forty-three coalition people reported collecting signatures. We have received signatures from 25 of those persons. We would appreciate it if the other 18 individuals would send us their signatures as soon as possible.” Professional collectors werere continuing to collect signatures, he wrote, and collected 860 signatures last week.
Greenlaw and his group have stated previously that they are shooting for 60,000 signatures as a buffer should the secretary of state, who is responsible for reviewing the signatures, invalidate some.
Even as it becomes increasingly likely that Greenlaw will secure a date at the ballot box, the process has not been without hiccups for the Stonington native. Largely a grassroots campaign, MCSS did not hire professional collectors at the onset, nor did many of its circulators have experience in conducting an organized campaign against Gov. John Baldacci and his supporters of the new law that was passed as part of the governor’s budget package.
Greenlaw has set a target date of August 15 to have petitions submitted to the aecretary of state.
People wishing to circulate petitions locally may contact East Machias selectman Kenneth “Bucket” Davis at 263-7045.