AUGUSTA – The Legislature passed a resolution denouncing acts and suggested acts of hate and violence in reaction to postelection incidents suggesting violence against President-elect Barack Obama.

There was no opposition to the joint resolution, which won passage by the newly seated House and Senate hours after the members were sworn into office Wednesday.

Democratic Sen. Bill Diamond of Windham introduced the nonbinding resolution a month after a sign appeared in a Standish store inviting customers to bet on a date when President-elect Obama would be killed.

Co-sponsors of the resolution said that and other expressions of violence smeared the majority of Maine people in the eyes of the nation, and should not be tolerated.