AUGUSTA -- Two House Democratic leaders want to allow citizens to remove their signatures from petitions, in response to allegations that signature gatherers are spreading misinformation about a Democratic-backed tax overhaul.

House Majority Whip Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, said Thursday he will sponsor a bill to allow citizens to ask the secretary of state to remove their names from a petition up to one week before the signatures are certified.

"We have the right to free speech, but also have the right to the truth," Berry said in a statement. "If misled, we should be able to remove our names from a petition."

The new tax-overhaul law, supported by majority Democrats, lowers the income tax, applies the sales tax to previously untaxed items, and increases the meals-and-lodging tax.

It's estimated the law will reduce taxes paid by Maine residents by $57 million, according to Maine Revenue Services. About 87 percent of all Maine taxpayers will see their overall tax burden go down, even when the additional sales tax is added in, Maine Revenue Services has said.

House Majority Leader John Piotti, D-Unity, said he's found erroneous or misleading information in op-eds printed in newspapers and in e-mails sent by Republican Party officials.

He said several people have told him signature gatherers are putting out false information in saying Social Security benefits will be taxed or that pensions will be taxed. Neither is true.

The Maine Republican Party opposes the plan and is leading a people's veto effort to gather signatures to put the issue before voters. Party Chairman Charlie Webster said a staffer did release some inaccurate information, which was corrected immediately.

"First of all, they want to take as much money from the working man as possible, and now they don't want him to sign a petition," he said.

Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, said the Democrats are ratcheting up the rhetoric because they fear a public vote.

"This looks to me like theater to try to get attention and get people not to sign the petition," Trahan said, saying he will stand by all the statements he has made either in print or in person.

Trahan said he believes they will have more than the 55,087 signatures needed to get the issue on the June ballot. The deadline for submission to the state is Sept. 11.

Lawmakers wouldn't be able to consider Berry's bill until January -- well after the period of certification conducted by the Secretary of State's Office for this particular petition.

Piotti said he and Berry want to put something in place for future campaigns.

"It's a good-government step that's needed regardless," Piotti said. "I wish someone had thought of it 10 years ago."

Trahan said there will be plenty of time to debate the bill before a public vote and that he worries this type of law will allow party leaders to coerce people into taking their names off petitions.

"I think Maine people, when they sign a petition, understand what they are doing," he said. "They are not repealing a bill; they are asking for a public vote."

Piotti said the timing of this new law is critical, however. It's scheduled to take effect in January, but would be put on hold if there are enough signatures to call for a June vote.

"The state needs this reform for economic development," he said. "It will be lost just when they need it."

Berry's bill, which would need approval by a panel of legislative leaders to be considered in January, would apply to people's vetoes as well as citizen initiatives.

As it is now, citizens can file a complaint with the petition gatherers and the secretary of state if they feel they've been misled; but that's not a guarantee the name will be removed, Piotti said.

"There's no recourse now," he said. "They can't get their name removed."

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com