The Kennebec Journal reports:

Proponents of a citizens' initiative to allow same-sex marriage in Maine said today the language for the legislation they drafted was recently approved by the Secretary of State.

This allows supporters to begin printing petitions and gathering signatures to reach their goal of placing the issue before Mainers on the November 2012 ballot. They need at least 57,277 signatures from registered Maine voters and will have until January to turn in their petitions to Secretary of State Charlie Summers.

Voters in Maine overturned same-sex marriage 53%-47% in 2009.

A self-identified gay republican activist in Maine wrote in the Portland Herald Press last week that this new attempt to pass same-sex marriage was bound for defeat.

NOM President Maggie Gallagher recently told the Associated Press we're optimistic that the people of Maine will vote to preserve the common sense definition of marriage if asked to vote on it again.