AUGUSTA -- The people's veto gives Maine residents the power to vote on laws passed by the Legislature before they go into effect.

First used in 1910, it's been a way for voters to have the final say on bills 27 times since then.

But opponents of a people's veto calling for a vote in November say this time it's different because the effort is backed largely by corporate money from out of state.

Which begs the question: It is really a people's veto?

"This particular people's veto is more sinister," said Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro. "Any corporation who has unlimited resources, very deep pockets, can hijack any issue not to their liking."

Voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to repeal action taken by lawmakers this spring that imposed new taxes on beer, wine, soda and flavored water to help pay for the state's Dirigo Health program.

Health advocates say the taxes -- which include 16 cents on a six pack of beer and 11 cents on a liter of soda -- should be used to fund the program because these types of products contribute to poor health.

A coalition called Fed Up With Taxes, which includes the beverage industry and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, hired professional signature gatherers to get the required 55,087 signatures needed to get the question on the ballot.

Newell Augur, chairman of the anti-tax coalition, said the campaign needed to hire people to get the signatures because of the tight timetable required for a people's veto. Because all nonemergency bills go into effect 90 days after adjournment of the Legislature, those seeking a veto have only 90 days to turn in signatures.

Augur said although they paid for people to gather the signatures, it doesn't take away from their efforts. Campaign finance reports show the group paid $380,000 to a Michigan firm to collect signatures.

"Every one of the 90,000 signatures we had was from a Maine citizen," he said. "The decision on the $75 million in taxes is right where it should be. It will be made by Maine voters, not anyone else."

Yet Mitchell said the anti-tax coalition will outspend the Dirigo advocates many times over.

Early campaign finance reports bear that out, showing those who support the repeal raised 15 times as much money as those who oppose it in a recent reporting period.

Major contributors to Fed Up With Taxes include the American Beverage Association of Washington D.C., $87,500; the Maine Beer and Wine Wholesalers of Augusta, $83,975; and the Pepsi Bottling Group of Somers, N.Y., $40,800.

On the other side, the Service Employees International Union, Washington D.C., gave $25,000.

Already, the anti-tax coalition started advertising on television, reaching a large audience tuned in to the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

Prior to the beverage tax repeal effort this year, the most recent people's veto efforts were mounted by the Christian Civic League of Maine.

In 1998 and again in 2005, voters were asked to repeal laws passed by the Legislature giving gays and lesbians protection from discrimination.

The league's efforts were successful in 1998 but failed three years ago.

Michael Heath, executive director of the civic league, said his group's efforts differed from the beverage tax veto in that they did nearly all of the legwork themselves.

He said they did use some paid signature gatherers in the most recent effort, but that 90 percent of all signatures were gathered by volunteers.

Heath doesn't take issue with out-of-state funding, as long as it's properly disclosed.

"I don't have a problem with that as long as the press is free and doing its job, which is to let the public know how it was done," he said.

Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, led a people's veto effort in 2005 when Democrats proposed borrowing money to balance the state budget.

Although he and his supporters abandoned the effort when the budget was renegotiated, he said he knows from experience that it's nearly impossible to get the required number of signatures without paying people to gather them.

"The idea of doing it without paying to get it done is almost unthinkable," he said.

Historically, outside groups have funded other efforts, particularly citizen init iative questions in which signatures can be gathered over 12 months, rather than three.

Mills said a repeal of the snack tax was funded by a national manufactured food group. Also, a referendum to ban bear baiting and recent votes on casino gambling attracted money on both sides from national groups.

But despite her view that the 2008 people's veto is different from past efforts, Mitchell said she would not want to propose changing the process.

"It's a populist escape valve for people for a nonresponsive legislature," she said.

However, she doesn't like the fact that what she sees as deep pockets can overturn something vetted -- and voted on -- by legislators.

"Any group with a lot of money can trump the debate of elected officials," she said. "It's not deliberative. It's not thoughtful. It appeals to a bumper-sticker phrase and that's a very scary kind of government."

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com