A Maine Superior Court judge has upheld Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to block the citizens initiative brought forward by Protect Girls Sports in Maine from appearing on the ballot this November.
Under the proposed legislation, students would only be eligible to play on sports teams and access protected spaces such as locker rooms and bathrooms that align with their biological sex, regardless of whether or not they identify as transgender.
Although the petition to place this measure on the ballot was originally successful, receiving validation from the Secretary of State’s Office in March, three individuals sued alleging that signatures were improperly collected.
[RELATED: ‘Protect Girls Sports in Maine’ Referendum Cleared for November Ballot After Signature Validation]
Bellows agreed with the arguments being presented by the challengers and reversed her position on the petition’s eligibility in late May.
Submitted to the state were 8,067 petition forms with 79,692 signatures, of which 71,033 were certified as valid. Petitions in support of putting the question on the ballot had been in circulation since November 3, 2025.
Protect Girls Sports in Maine took the issue back to court shortly thereafter, arguing that the Secretary of State acted outside her authority.
[RELATED: Maine Girl Dads Ballot Fight Heads to Hearing as Signature Challenge Threatens November Vote]
Superior Court Judge Deborah Cashman ruled Thursday, however, that Bellows acted appropriately in rejecting an additional 4,000 signatures that were deemed to have been improperly collected.
Leyland Streiff of Protect Girls Sports in Maine indicated that the group plans to appeal Judge Cashman’s ruling to the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.
“The Protect Girls Sports Committee has received the Superior Court’s decision upholding the Secretary’s decision,” said Streiff in a statement obtained by the Maine Wire.
“The Committee is committed to continuing its efforts to allow the people of Maine to vote on the Protect Girls Sports legislation at the November general election,” Streiff said. “The Committee remains confident in challenges it raised to the Secretary’s decision and will seek review by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.”
Bellows, on the other hand, applauded the decision in an interview as reported by the Portland Press Herald.
“I swore an oath to uphold the law and Constitution, and my decision was rooted in that,” she said.
David Farmer, leader of the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, a ballot question committee formed in opposition to the proposal, also expressed support for the decision, according to WMTW.
“There was clear evidence of inappropriate activities by the out-of-state signature collectors working for the billionaire behind this harmful ballot initiative,” Farmer said.
“Maine’s election laws protect our democracy and ensure that elections are free and fair,” he continued. “The campaign that tried to attack transgender students broke the rules, it didn’t follow the law and the Superior Court was correct to reject their appeal of the decision by the secretary of state.”
A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office told the Portland outlet Wednesday that a final decision would need to be made by August 1 in order for the ballots to be printed in time for the November election.
Quick fix parents. Don’t participate in the freak show
A one party state has all the bad qualities of a totalitarian state. Next time petitions are gathered for an issue the democrats oppose the number of signatures submitted should be a minimum of twice what is required. The problem is that even if the petitions are accepted the state can word the ballot question in a manner that misrepresents or befuddles the issue.
“Leyland Streiff of Protect Girls Sports in Maine indicated that the group plans to appeal Judge Cashman’s ruling to the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.”
Fat lot of good that will do. SJC of Maine are a bunch of moonbat, libtard, usless F’s, but I guess you got to try.
Cool. The very first time a girl gets sexually harassed by a male in a bathroom or locker room should sue the state and school to the max. Money speaks. Loudly. When these fools lose enough money they may regain some common sense.
Doesn’t seem fair that three assholes can get a sleezebag lawyer and effectively defeat the will of more than 50,000 people . Welcome to Maine .
Start another league, a girls only league, a private league. The democrats used you girls, to gain power and then tossed you under the school bus in order to gain more power. They only care about power and will use anyone to gain it.
Can’t wait till the fathers take care of this problem themselves / and they will
The Democrats have their dictatorship in place in Maine. “They” will tell you who, what, and where happens. Out of state invasion is here. Where’s Mills from? Bellows? Shah?
Since when do democrats care about the legitimacy of signatures or the collection process? When it threatens to stop the abuse of girls and young women, obviously….
Of course they rejected it.
How is the future Senator Platner going to get a new squeeze?
Evil comes in many forms. The disciples of the Evil One are everywhere and they are told to delivered to Baal your kids. Many in positions of authority are pleased to provide what Baal desires.
One less ballot question that might draw a lot of conservatives to the polls on election day when our sidewinder Secretary of State is running for Governor. Convienient.