AUGUSTA – A bill that could make Maine the fifth state to recognize same-sex marriages won a strong endorsement Tuesday from a legislative committee, setting the stage for votes by the Senate and House.

Eleven of the 14 Judiciary Committee members voted to pass the bill, while two voted against it and one member proposed sending it to voters in a November referendum. Gov. John Baldacci, a former opponent, is undecided.

“I know what equality means and I know what it doesn’t mean, and I am firmly and solidly behind this,” said Rep. Wayne Mitchell of the Penobscot Nation.

While the bill’s strong committee support should carry some weight in floor votes, there is support in the Senate for sending the bill out to public vote. Even gay marriage opponents acknowledge the likelihood of a House vote in favor of the bill. Unless both chambers agree on a single version of the bill, it will die.

The initial test of Maine legislative sentiment came three weeks after Vermont’s House overrode a gubernatorial veto and made it the fourth state to recognize gay marriages. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa have been ordered by the courts to do so.

Tuesday’s vote in Maine came nearly a week after an estimated 3,500 people packed a public hearing at the Augusta Civic Center that lasted 12 hours. The public was not invited to speak Tuesday, but Judiciary deliberations were interrupted by an outburst by a protester, who shouted that the bill is morally wrong. She was escorted by police from the State House.

Rep. Jarrod Crockett, R-Bethel, who voted against the measure, said he spent a lot of time over the weekend thinking about what it would mean to the state.

“There are a lot of unintended consequences that will go along with this bill,” he said.

Rep. Joan Nass, R-Acton, said she voted against the bill because most of her constituents opposed it. Rep. Michael Beaulieu of Auburn was the only Republican on the committee to vote in favor of the bill as written.

The Senate chair of the committee, Lawrence Bliss, also spoke briefly for the bill.

“I want my kids to grow up in a place where everybody is treated equally, fairly and with respect,” the South Portland Democrat said. “I am a gay man, this is extremely personal to me (but) I’ve tried to put that aside,” Bliss said.

The lone referendum supporter, Sen. David Hastings, R-Fryeburg, said he prefers sending the question to voters.

“I think it’s more of a person’s general perception about what they believe marriage means to them,” he said. “I don’t feel I have any additional knowledge or know-how than the average person.”

Rep. Cynthia Dill, D-Cape Elizabeth, said while sending the bill to referendum may be appealing to some lawmakers, it would be an abdication of their responsibilities.

“Basic civil rights shouldn’t be decided in the voting booth,” she said.

In a separate vote, the committee killed a proposal that would have broadened the rights of couples who register as domestic partners in the state.

“We don’t have to have a cultural war if we don’t want one,” said Rep. Les Fossel, R-Alna, who saw his bill as a middle ground.

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