AUGUSTA -- A supporter of Democratic efforts to reform the state's tax system filed an appeal Tuesday to challenge the number of signatures submitted to call for a people's veto of the law.

Charles L. "Wick" Johnson III of Hallowell, owner of Kennebec Technologies in Augusta, filed the challenge in Kennebec County Superior Court.

"Every one of my employees will benefit from this tax reform," Johnson said. "It's too important not to challenge (the veto)."

A group called Still Fed Up With Taxes turned in more than 60,000 signatures on Sept. 11 to call for a people's veto of the tax law.

Last week, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap determined that the group, which is largely backed by the Maine Republican Party, had more than 55,087 signatures to put a question on the June ballot.

The lawsuit, filed by Bernstein Shur, of Portland, alleges there are enough invalid signatures to reverse Dunlap's decision and call off the June vote.

The new tax law lowers the state's top marginal income tax rate from 8.5 to 6.5 percent, expands the sales tax to new goods and services, and increases the meals and lodging tax, among other things. It has been described as the most significant change to the state's tax system in 40 years.

The law passed the Legislature with Democratic support and was signed by Gov. John Baldacci in June.

But Republicans raised objections to the plan, saying it will be a temporary reduction in the income tax but a permanent expansion of the sales tax.

Still Fed Up With Taxes spokesman Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, said challenging signatures is just a delay tactic.

"The Secretary of State, I feel confident, went over these petitions with a fine-toothed comb," Trahan said. "I see this as nothing more than trying to take off another month of our time to organize."

The lawsuit claims Dunlap made mistakes in allowing signatures that include those from people who are deceased, duplicates, and signatures from those who are not registered to vote in Maine.

Also, it challenges petitions notarized by someone who did not properly inform the state when she changed her legal name.

This is also not the first lawsuit filed with regard to these signatures.

Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster filed suit Nov. 2 because Dunlap missed the deadline to complete certification of the signatures.

And last year, the Maine Democratic Party challenged signatures turned in by an independent U.S. Senate candidate and successfully kept him off the ballot. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a single faulty signature can invalidate a whole page of a petition, which left Herbert Hoffman, of Ogunquit, with fewer than the required number of signatures.

As someone who has served on the University of Maine System Board of Trustees, Johnson said he knows firsthand that inconsistent state revenues are a problem.

"I'm surprised there would be such opposition to this, because it fits so well with what Maine needs," he said.

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com