Pubdate: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 Source: Bangor Daily News (ME) Copyright: 1999, Bangor Daily News Inc. Contact: http://www.bangornews.com/ SUPREME COURT LETS PETITION RULES STAND WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand two requirements for people who circulate voter initiative petitions in Maine. The justices, without comment, refused to review a ruling by Maine's highest court that had upheld requirements that people who circulate voter initiative petitions be registered to vote in Maine and be legal residents of the state. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down similar requirements imposed by Colorado just last month. In its Jan. 12 ruling, the court limited state regulation of voter initiatives by striking down as "excessively restrictive of political speech" several methods Colorado used to police such measures. The court specifically said, among other things, states may not require people who circulate petitions to be registered voters. Mainers for Medical Rights sued a year ago after Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky ruled it had not filed enough valid signatures to get a proposal to legalize marijuana for medical purposes on the ballot. Gwadosky ruled that a second attempt reached the threshold level for the issue to be put on the ballot in 1999. James Kilbreth, a lawyer for Mainers for Medical Rights, said Monday he believed the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to rule because the issue was rendered moot when the advocacy group got enough petitions. "We thought it was clear in the Colorado case that one of the principal restrictions that we were challenging was held to be unconstitutional," he said Monday of the voter registration requirement. "That should have led the court to strike down the same provisions in Maine." Maine Solicitor Peter Brann said the rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court were not necessarily contradictory. He noted that the court can refuse to review cases for a number of reasons. Therefore, a decision from the Maine supreme court that upheld requirements that circulators of initiative petitions be residents and registered voters stands for now, he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea