The House’s Calendar for tomorrow came out a few hours ago and LD 1020 is on it… session opens at 10 am.

Good overview from WGME of possible scenarios:

If the House passes the Senate’s version of this bill, it will go to Governor John Baldacci’s desk for approval.

If the House votes the bill down, then it goes back to the Senate.

It could choose to revise, and re-vote then that version would go back to the house.

it could bounce back and forth between the house and the senate until both agree.

If they can’t then this bill dies.

Views are mixed regarding the potential outcome:

The bill, which won a 21-14 vote of approval in the Senate last week, goes to the House on Tuesday. The bill has more than 60 co-sponsors, most of them House members.

Shenna Bellows of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, a leading supporter of the bill, said she’s “cautiously optimistic” about Tuesday’s outcome because of the strong sponsorship.

Marc Mutty of the Catholic Diocese of Portland said he and other opponents haven’t lobbied the House very aggressively, so Tuesday’s vote is a “wild card.” At least one amendment has been prepared for possible consideration Tuesday.

Again from WGME:

Folks at the Maine Family Policy Center say they’ve been doing the same and praying the house votes this bill down.

Mike Heath from the Maine Family Policy Council says:

“We’re very, very, very concerned. We felt the the House would be difficult to win over. We thought there would be more of a fight in the Senate. We’re praying the right thing happens.

Here is a link to audio, video and all other pertinent information regarding the House and its members.

Twitter links:

Mine

EqualityMaine

MCLU

MarryME

Excerpts of this emotional article from a father of an adult gay man do not do the writing proper justice. I tried to condense and simply cannot- please read it.

More below the fold…

I accidentally lied to the Governor the other day, because I told him I did not have a personal stake. But upon deeper reflection, I do.

This is my home and home for many others. We love Maine- black flies, mud season and all. Yet I have rights that 2 other Maine women exactly the same age as me (43) do not have- and that is WRONG.

While this inequality exists and I have hundreds more rights than these other 2 women, I have a PERSONAL STAKE OF PRIVILEGE THAT I DID NOT ASK FOR AND DO NOT ACCEPT.

I want FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY FOR ALL OF US. NOTHING ELSE IS ACCEPTABLE AND NOTHING ELSE WILL DO.

Hopefully we are hours away from Maine making history and righting many wrongs… I hope so.

Dirigo, which means “I Lead”…this is MAINE- the Way Life Should Be.