A coalition that hopes to repeal new state taxes on beer, wine and soda kicked off its signature-gathering campaign today with news conferences in Portland and Bangor.

But the group was immediately met by opposition from health-care advocates who say that eliminating the taxes would jeopardize health insurance for thousands of Maine residents.

The coalition seeking to repeal the beverage taxes is called Fed Up With Taxes. Billed as a bipartisan group, its members include the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.

“Maine people already pay some of the highest taxes in the country,” Newell Augur, the group’s director, told reporters outside David’s Restaurant in Portland’s Monument Square.

Noting rising prices in today’s economy, he added, “This is absolutely the worst time to ask Maine people to pay even more.”

In order to trigger a statewide referendum on the beverage taxes this fall, the coalition must gather 50,087 signatures by July 17.

Assuming the group gathers enough signatures to get on the ballot, it may be in for a fight this fall.

Dr. Lisa Letourneau of the Maine Medical Association was among the health-care advocates who gathered in Monument Square in opposition to the tax repeal effort.

She said that it makes sense to fund health care with taxes on items, like beer and soda, that contribute to poor health.

Read a full report on this story Thursday in the Portland Press Herald or online at pressherald.com.