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September 11, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
House GOP leaders astounded by success of people’s veto petition drive

AUGUSTA – Representatives Josh Tardy and Phil Curtis, leaders of the House Republicans, today congratulated the Maine Republican Party and the Still Fed Up With Taxes coalition on their successful petition drive to overturn a new Maine law that expands the sales tax to scores of services and activities. Needing just over 55,000 signatures of registered voters to put the issue on a people’s veto referendum, the petition organizers turned in some 60,500 signatures to Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap this afternoon.

“This is a truly astounding achievement,” said Rep. Tardy (R-Newport), the House Republican leader. “Hardly anyone thought this could be done – to collect that many signatures in just two months, with scant financial resources. It is a real tribute to party chairman Charlie Webster and Senator David Trahan, who directed the operation. I know they worked incredibly hard, against tough odds.

“Thanks to their tireless efforts, thousands of Mainers who thought they had no voice in Augusta have discovered that they can make a difference,” Rep Tardy added. “Hundreds of working Mainers volunteered their time, right through the summer, to gather these signatures. This is grassroots political work at its best.”

Rep. Curtis (R-Madison) said Maine citizens owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the petition process, including the Maine Green Independent Party, which collected thousands of signatures. “The people of Maine were shut out of this tax deal,” he said. “The Democrats passed it in the final hours of the legislative session, with no public hearings. It’s the biggest tax change in Maine in 40 years, and the Democrats thought they could just ram it through and people would accept it. They obviously did not anticipate that a petition drive would be successful. Great credit goes to Charlie Webster, Senator Trahan and the hundreds of others who proved them wrong.”

Secretary of State Dunlap now has 30 days to certify the signatures. Once they are approved, the new tax law – based on LD 1495 – will be stayed from taking effect on schedule, om January 1, 2010. Its fate would be determined by a people’s veto referendum, which would be on the June 2010 ballot.

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