Secretary of State Shenna Bellows shared a statement Friday responding to the Maine Supreme Court’s ruling in a case challenging a lower court’s decision blocking Protect Girls Sports in Maine’s citizens’ initiative from appearing on the November ballot.
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]
Secretary of State 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, however, that Bellows acted appropriately in rejecting an additional 4,000 signatures that were deemed to have been improperly collected.
Protect Girls Sports then appealed this decision to the state’s Supreme Court where the lower court ruling was upheld.
A statement shared by the ballot question committee shortly after this ruling explained that the group “disagrees with the Law Court’s decision” and had already filed a lawsuit in federal court.
“[This] affirmation of the Secretary of State’s decision to invalidate the Protect Girls Sports in Maine petition disenfranchises over 71,000 valid Maine voters’ signatures… and their right to petition the government and debate sex-designated sports and spaces in schools at the ballot box this November,” the statement said.
[RELATED: Maine Girl Dads Vow to Continue Fight After Maine Law Court Rejects Ballot Initiative]
Bellows also responded to the ruling, praising the court for invalidating the signatures submitted by four out-of-state circulators who did not “consent to the jurisdiction of the Maine courts as required.”
“Citizen initiatives are a powerful tool of direct democracy in our state, and Maine voters should have just as much confidence in petition integrity as they do in the security of our elections,” Bellows said. “This petition did not meet the legal requirements for inclusion and therefore did not qualify for the ballot after our legal review.”
“I am grateful but not surprised by the court’s ruling affirming our decision,” she added.
Sheena Bellows is a P.O.S.
I can’t wait until Bobby Charles gives her a pink slip .
If on the other hand , the Pingree kid wins , it won’t matter “ TO ME “ because I will have left .
Watching Maine self destruct will be much too painful to endure .
im writing from florida right now where we bought our plan b house… which between sky rocketing property taxes and the deteriorating politics is becoming plan a…
“Maine voters should have just as much confidence in petition integrity as they do in the security of our elections” says Shenna.
That would be zero confidence from me, Shenna. Clear up the voter rolls and stop facilitating driving licenses for illiterate and unqualified recent immigrants, legal or not.
“There have been at least 40 shootings by U.S. immigration agents since January 20, 2025, resulting in 11 deaths. This includes incidents involving both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.“
“This $h!? isn’t normal”. The official said. Whatever these chuckle$ucks did in Maine and Houston is serious.”
INTERNAL ORDERS HANDED down by leaders at U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement instructed officers in the field to stop making vehicle stops, according to five ICE officials around the country.
The directive, handed down in at least three of ICE’s administrative regions Monday and effective immediately, came after a pair of killings in Texas and Maine by ICE agents that involved attempts to stop cars.
The ICE officers who spoke with The Intercept, who asked for anonymity to discuss internal orders, said the shift was meant to mitigate the chances of shootings like the ones that sparked outrage by taking the lives of two immigrants over the past week.
“We have been told to either grab them before they leave their parking spot, or follow them and arrest them where they stop (ie a gas station or place of work) to avoid these situations,” said an ICE official from the South.
“This $h!? isn’t normal,” the official said. “Whatever these chuckle$ucks did in Maine and Houston is serious.”
Will the REAL brown shirt guy please step forward !
“ Stop Dragging My Heart Around “ ……Better Dead than Red .
We have no confidence in our election process or our elected officials
Hey Brown Shirt. What the heck does your verbal diarrhea about ICE have to do with knuckle heads like you thinking that they can just walk into girls’ locker rooms? Go find an Am-Track rail to lay down and fall to sleep on. YOU are the problem of our country right now.
And this is the other side of the issue, where the girl is clearly bigger and stronger, and probably heavier than the boy.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LmNpDSFT4hM
What’s equitable here?