Thanks to years of outreach to Maine schools by tribal leaders, Maine’s LAST Indian-themed mascot was finally retired in March 2019. In May of the same year, Maine became the first state to pass a law banning Native American mascots at all public schools. However, schools across the country continue to use these mascots. And although a number of professional sports teams, including in Cleveland and Washington, have retired their Indian-themed mascots, many remain. Want to help retire them all? Navigating discussions about Indian-themed mascots is notoriously difficult and time consuming, but communities that invest the time to listen and learn from Indigenous peoples invariably find their communities strengthened as a result. Most who have been a part of these discussions find the same issues and arguments raised, regardless of the community. In collaboration with representatives from the Penobscot Nation, we’ve compiled the most common arguments below, with suggestions for ways to respond.

1. “The mascot honors the tribes in our state.”

While many assume that using Native American imagery to illustrate fighting strength honors Native people, the only way to know for sure is to ask Native people themselves. On this, tribal leaders in Maine and around the country have been very clear: Indian-themed mascots do not honor them. In fact, they do the opposite. As the National Congress of American Indians states, “rather than honoring Native peoples, these caricatures and stereotypes are harmful, perpetuate negative stereotypes of America’s first peoples, and contribute to a disregard for the personhood of Native peoples.”

2. “It’s our tradition.”

It’s hard to justify how non-Native people can claim that their tradition involves referring to themselves as “Indians,” while dismissing Indigenous people who claim the term for themselves. After generational struggles against efforts to eradicate all traces of their culture, family bonds, language, and land claims, the traditions that come with being a member of a Native tribe are considered sacred, not entertainment. In fact, most schools adopted Indian-themed mascots decades after their founding, so in many cases the real tradition likely involved having no mascot at all.   

3. “I’m of Scandinavian descent and I raise cows, but I’m not offended by the Vikings and the Cowboys. Native Americans shouldn’t be offended either.”

While folks should note that Vikings and cowboys are not races of people, and neither experienced oppression and genocidal policies at the hands of our government, the more important point is that it should always be up to the group being portrayed to determine if the portrayal is offensive.

4. “One time a Native American said he liked our mascot.”

It does happen sometimes, but it’s pretty rare and should not be taken as consensus of Native opinion. There are also groups out there, like the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA), that claim to represent Native interests, but actually exist (and are heavily funded) to defend the significant financial interests of professional and collegiate sports teams that use Indian-themed mascots. NAGA representatives have been condemned by many tribal leaders as frauds and corporate shills in disguise. But even if the group was legitimate, why import people from out-of-state to give an opinion on how Native Americans feel when tribes in your state have already made their feelings clear? 

5. “If we get rid of the Indian mascot, they’ll also make us change the name of the town or get rid of the Indian statue and town seal. Where will it end?”

Retaining Indigenous references in town names is considered respectful by Native Americans, and serves as a daily reminder that we are all living on Indigenous land. While statues and town seals do little to promote understanding of and respect for existing federally recognized tribes, they are also less likely to cause lasting harm. Indian-themed mascots, however, do. 

6. “Come on, our Indian mascot doesn’t actually harm anybody.”

Actually, it does. Studies show that using such mascots lowers “the self-esteem of American Indian students.” The US Commission on Civil Rights has “called for an end to the use of Native American mascots in non-Native schools because they teach all students that stereotyping of minority students is acceptable.” The American Psychological Association publicly called for “the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots,” saying that these “mascots are teaching misleading, and too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they are sending the wrong message to all students.” When students and community members view Native Americans in this cartoonish way, it not only enables the erasure of authentic historic and current native culture, it also validates bigoted speech and actions among adults as well as young people. Indian-themed mascots are also opposed by the National Congress of the American Indian, National Indian Education Association, National Education Association, US Commission on Civil Rights, American Psychological Association, American Sociological Association, American Counseling Association, NAACP, United Methodist Church, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. 

7. “Replacing all the uniforms and gear will be too expensive.”

The good news is that there are organizations out there, like Adidas, that want to help schools retire Indian-themed mascots. Other schools have done a gradual replacement of their gear. There are plenty of options, and plenty of school administrators and coaches in Maine who have experience navigating this kind of transition.

8. “If you don’t live here, don’t tell us what to do.”

As long as Native children can attend schools with Indian-themed mascots, and those schools’ teams can compete against Native students, the threat of harm and discrimination remains, affecting more than current town residents. It’s not just Native students that are harmed by these mascots. As a 2014 report by the Center for American Progress found, “studies show that these mascots undermine the educational experience of all students, particularly those with little or no contact with Indigenous and [American Indian/Alaska Native] people.” 

9. “We got rid of the feathered dancing guy years ago. It’s a name, not a mascot.”

We applaud teams and schools that have done away with the fake costumes, dances, hatchet gestures, and whooping. It’s a big step, but if the name remains, there’s still work to do. When a name is used like a mascot, it poses the same harm. Being an “Indian” is more than a mascot, more than a name, and more than distant ancestry. Being a member of a federally recognized Indigenous tribe comes with expectations, hard work, responsibilities, and a whole lot of trauma. Your town’s residents have plenty to be proud of. Claiming to be a race of people that they aren’t is not one of them.

10. “Don’t Native Americans have more important problems to worry about?”

If you happen to live on planet Earth right now, there is no shortage of important problems to worry about. Fortunately, humans are pretty great at multitasking. Most of us can even work on global, national, local, household, and personal problems all the same time. But one thing’s for sure: the harder we work to resolve problems together, the faster we’ll get them done.

Want to retire a mascot in your own town, but don’t know where to start? 

• Look for a #notyourmascot chapter near you. There may already be efforts underway that you can support. If a chapter doesn’t exist, they can tell you how to start your own. 
• Reach out to the leaders of the federally recognized tribes that are closest to you. Follow their lead, and support and amplify their efforts. 
• Speak at school board meetings (better yet, run for your local school board).
• Launch a petition to gather local support. 
• Submit a letter to the editor of your local paper.

Want to learn more about tribes in Maine? Visit the Wabanaki Alliance website. 

Who’s better for Maine, Paul LePage or Janet Mills?

It’s not often voters get the chance to compare two experienced governors running against each other, let alone two governors who both faced serious economic upheaval. To answer the question, “Who’s better for Maine?” the economic policy experts at MECEP Action (the political and advocacy arm of Maine Center for Economic Policy) looked at 12 years of policy on eight key issues. What’s below is just the highlights. We encourage all Maine voters to head over to Maine Behind the Numbers to see the full story!

Maine Behind the Numbers is a project of MECEP Action. Suit Up Maine is not affiliated with MECEP Action. We just really like their work!

THE ISSUE

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THE ACTION

Actions go here, in numeric or bulleted list if more than one action.

In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court dissolved more than 50 years of legal precedent that affirms the right to abortion. As a result, most abortions are now banned in 14 states, and at least 12 more are currently working to enact their own bans. We created this guide to help those impacted and to further the fight for safe and legal abortion in America. 

What does this mean for you and your loved ones?

Rules about abortion now fall to each individual state. It’s critical that every American learn about their state’s laws, take steps to protect yourself and the people you care about, and work to elect active champions for abortion rights. Here’s how:

Find out about the laws in your state.

Check out this interactive map to see what changes are coming to your state now that Roe is overturned. Guttmacher Institute keeps an updated guide on the current laws in each state. Have a child considering where to attend college? Thinking about relocating? Check the laws before you decide! And remember, laws can be changed or rolled back depending on who controls your state government in any given year. Republicans in congress have every intention of making abortion illegal nationwide if they regain control. Elections matter. 

Consider long term contraception.

Not only are there now multiple options for long-acting reversible contraceptives that can provide pregnancy prevention for between 3 and 10 years, IUDs and implants are also up to 20 times more effective than birth control pills, patches, and rings. And don’t forget about vasectomies! Most health insurance plans must cover preventative care, including birth control (thanks, Obama!). Planned Parenthood is a great resource for all forms of birth control, and provides care even if you don’t have insurance. 

Keep abortion medication, emergency contraception, and pregnancy tests on hand.

AidAccess.org is a group based in Austria that can mail abortion-inducing medication to you, even before it is needed. Anyone of any age can purchase emergency contraception (aka “Plan B” or “morning after pill”) off the shelf in drug stores, pharmacies, superstores, and also online. ID is not required. Look in the “family planning” or “feminine hygiene” section. They have a shelf life of four years, so keep a bunch of these and also a stock of pregnancy tests on hand at home and at school. 

Make a plan.

If you live in a state where abortion is banned, take the time now to identify a friend or relative in a state with strong abortion laws (like Maine). Make a plan and set aside enough money to “go camping”. Some states are planning laws so dystopian that even talking about a pregnancy or termination plans should be avoided once a pregnancy is confirmed. 

Need to find an abortion provider?

These resources can help, no matter where in the country you’re located.

• • https://abortioncarenetwork.org/abortion-care-providers/
  • https://www.abortionfinder.org/
  • https://www.ineedana.com
  • https://abortionfunds.org/https://prochoice.org/patients/naf-hotline/

Need legal or medical advice about abortion?

• • If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice provides a confidential legal help line and a legal defense fund. 
  • Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has text and phone options for asking questions during and after a miscarriage or an abortion.

     

Secure your personal data.

Privacy experts warn that data gathered by period trackers, social media, email, and other everyday apps could be used against a pregnant person seeking an abortion. Learn more at Digital Defense Fund.

What’s next on the legal and legislative front?

Now that Roe is overturned, the only remedy that protects all Americans is federal law. The Women’s Health Protection Act guarantees a pregnant person’s right to access an abortion—and the right of an abortion provider to deliver abortion services—free from medically unnecessary restrictions. The bill passed in the House, but recently failed in the Senate. Every Republican in both the House and the Senate opposed the bill, while every Democrat and Independent except Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin supported it. Let your legislators know how you feel about their vote!

Even if abortion is still legal where you live, it’s important to remember that laws that slowly chip away at access are just as dangerous. Six states currently have only one abortion clinic in operation. 

We are also monitoring what broader impact overturning Roe could have for contraception and LGBTQ rights. Even interracial marriage could be challenged. We will post updates here.   

WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO?

Speak out

Not comfortable talking about your support for abortion access? Get comfortable. We need everyone to speak out in conversations with friends and family, on social media, in letters to the editor, and in legislatures. Get caught up on abortion facts and the legal background before you start, and follow these golden rules:

Remember that abortion is safe and normal. 1 in 4 people who can become pregnant will have an abortion in their lifetime, so you can assume that someone you know has had one. People have abortions in both in-clinic and  with abortion medication. Focusing on the realities of abortion as a part of people’s lives can counteract stigma and misinformation. This short video is a great one to share.

Understand the constitutional context. An individual’s right to an abortion was based on almost 50 years of legal precedent. Understanding how long the constitution protected all abortion before a fetus is viable helps people recognize how severe this rollback of rights is.

Be non-judgmental. Believing that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies means that no one abortion is more ‘justified’ than another. Avoid focusing on only the most traumatic reasons for needing an abortion or generalizing about how people feel about their abortions. 

Recognize diversity. No two abortions are the same; they occur in a huge variety of socio-economic and cultural settings, and affect a wide range of people with different experiences and values. Be mindful that Black, Indigenous, and people of color are disproportionately impacted by abortion restrictions and bans, furthering the harm of systemic racism. And remember that not all people with a uterus identify as female. Using “pregnant people” rather than “pregnant women” is not only inclusive, it’s more accurate.

Words matter. Use medically-accurate terms and avoid using words or images that echo anti-abortion narratives.

• • • Depending on the time between egg fertilization and birth, a pregnancy refers to a zygote, an embryo, or a fetus.
    • Using descriptors like “pro-abortion” and “abortion rights advocate” are recommended because they help de-stigmatize abortion.
    • “Decision” is preferable to “choice” because some people, due to their access and life circumstances, don’t have a choice about their pregnancy.
    • Those who work to dismantle reproductive rights should be described as “abortion rights opponents” or “forced birth advocates”, not “pro-life”.
    • Avoid using the medically-inaccurate phrase “late-term abortion”. Later abortions are no less valid, necessary, and important.

       

Donate

Support the organizations working to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion and those suing to block abortion bans, including:

Clinics and advocacy organizations organized by state

National Network of Abortion Funds

If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice

ACLU

Planned Parenthood

Center for Reproductive Rights

Volunteer

The clinics and abortion advocacy groups in your state need your help, especially those that serve people of color, low income people, and the LGBTQ community. Find a list of groups in your state here. And if you’ve never volunteered to support a political candidate, now is the time! In some states, district lines are drawn in ways that make it even harder for progressive candidates to win, meaning that abortion rights champions need even more of us to help get out the votes. 

Run for office

Yes, you. The best way to stop anti-abortion laws is to elect abortion rights advocates at the local, state, and national level. Get trained to run through Emerge America and support those who step up through Emily’s List.

Stay informed

Find trusted up-to-date information on reproductive health at these sources:

The Guttmacher Institute: tracks abortion legislation and policy and conducts research

National Abortion Federation: maintains list of all abortion clinics by state, is the professional association of abortion providers

Women Help Women: offers secure self-managed medication abortion info and support

If/When/How Helpline: offers secure legal information and support surrounding abortion

International Planned Parenthood Federation: global abortion info source

2022 is set to be a record-breaking year for legislation targeting transgender people, with most of the more than 240 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year targeting trans people. This follows nearly 200 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in 2021. Trans youth are the biggest target of this legislation, and it appears to be a coordinated national attack. This legislative push is harmful, unnecessary, isn’t coming from constituent requests, and in many cases, the bills aren’t even written by the legislators sponsoring them. They’re modeled after legislative templates produced by anti-LGBTQ hate groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom. And they are overwhelmingly opposed by the majority of Americans, including most Republicans. 

SPORTS BILLS (That aren’t about sports)

Since 2020, 14 states have passed laws banning trans girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s school sports and dozens more—including Maine—have considered similar legislation. But trans women have been allowed to compete in women’s NCAA collegiate athletics since 2011 and in the Olympics since 2004, and trans girls have participated in girls’ sports in Maine schools since 2013 under a policy adopted by the Maine Principals’ Association. These bills aren’t about sports.

THE FACTS

These bills are a solution in search of a problem. The majority of student athletes in Maine and elsewhere are cisgender. While 68% of high school seniors nationwide play at least one sport, one study found that only 12% of trans girls do. Another found that of the 200,000 women competing in NCAA women’s sports, only about 50 are transgender. During the 2018-2019 school year, 49,519 Maine high school students played sports. But since the MPA enacted its trans-inclusive athletics policy, only about 30 trans students have requested permission to play sports. All were approved, but some decided not to play.

When cisgender and transgender female athletes do compete against one another, cisgender athletes can—and do—win. Just ask Chelsea Mitchell, a plaintiff in a Connecticut lawsuit who claims one of her transgender teammates has an unfair strength advantage when competing in track events. Two days after she filed the lawsuit, Mitchell beat her transgender teammate in a 55-meter dash.

Trans sports bans hurt young people. Research suggests that students who participate in school sports have higher self-esteem, better grades, and lower rates of obesity, depression, suicide, and tobacco, drugs, and alcohol use. Yet, in states that limit trans students participation in athletics, only 20% of LGBTQ students partipate in a sport.

Inclusive sports participation helps trans youth. Compared to LGBTQ youth who don’t play sports, those that do are much more likely to feel safe in their classrooms. That’s important as research suggests that 41% of trans boys, 34% of trans girls, and 31% of non-binary youth don’t feel safe.

States that pass these laws face an economic backlash. States that have passed anti-trans legislation are facing a backlash, with the NCAA threatening to move its championship games out of states that pass sports bans like those under consideration in Maine. Passage of such discriminatory legislation could also influence the future business plans of close to 100 companies that signed a letter opposing bills that target transgender people. 

LEGISLATION IN MAINE:
» Legislators rejected two anti-trans sports bills in 2021 during the first half of the legislative session. LD 1401 would have block federally-funded schools from allowing trans girls and women to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. LD 926  would have gone further, requiring any female athlete whose gender is called into question to undergo an invasive pelvic exam and chromosomal study in order to compete in girls’ or women’s sports.

SHELTER AND BATHROOM BILLS (That aren’t about shelters or bathrooms)

In April 2022, Alabama became the latest state to enact a law that blocks trans students’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms aligning with their gender identity. Last year, a similar law was passed in Tennessee. In 2021, bills in Iowa, and Arkansas and at least 13 other states were narrowly defeated. Other states, including Maine, attempted to block trans girls’ and women’s access to emergency shelters, reminiscent of a Trump administration rule that the Biden administration recently rescinded. One stark flaw in the arguments used to support these bills: There is no evidence to suggest that including trans women and girls in women-only spaces poses a threat to cisgender women. These bills aren’t about shelters or bathrooms.

THE FACTS

This is a solution in search of a problem. Despite the claims of supporters of bathroom and shelter bans, reports of assault or voyeurism did not increase in states that passed laws allowing transgender people to use the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their gender identity. Sexual assault prevention advocates, educators, and law enforcement agree that laws and policies protecting transgender people don’t compromise public safety, claims backed up by a 2018 analysis that found no difference in criminal incidents in municipalities with nondiscrimination laws and those that don’t.

A shelter ban will only cause harm. While there is no evidence that anti-trans shelter bans increase public safety, there is evidence that they could cause harm to transgender people in crisis. Trans people are nearly twice as likely to experience intimate partner violence compared to cisgender people and nearly one-third of trans people experience homelessness during their lifetime, including 36% of trans people in Maine. 

Bathroom and locker room bans are unconstitutional. Federal courts have ruled that laws banning trans students in Florida and Virginia from using the bathroom and locker room that matches their gender identity are unconstitutional. 

CURRENT LEGISLATION IN MAINE:
» Legislators defeated LD 1238, a bill that would have allowed private emergency shelters in Maine to deny access to trans girls and women in crisis. 

HEALTH CARE BILLS (That aren’t about health care)

As of March 2022, 15 states have passed or are considering laws to restric access to medically necessary gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. The measures are putting the health of care of more than 58,200 young people at risk. These bills aren’t about health care. 

THE FACTS

Gender-affirming health care is medically necessary. Every major medical and psychological society in the world supports the use of gender-affirming health care as evidence-based and medically necessary. The health care bans are opposed by every major medical society, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association. 

Gender-affirming therapy saves lives. Trans youth who received puberty blockers reported significant improvements in behavioral and emotional problems and improved psychological function after just 6 months of therapy. And those who wanted this therapy during adolescence and received had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts as adults than those who wanted the therapy but didn’t receive it. Another study examining trans youth who received gender-affirming hormone therapy found significant decreases in depression and suicidal thoughts, as well as improved quality of life.

Puberty blockers are safe. Despite the claims by supporters of bills that strip transgender health care from children, puberty blockers are safe and reversible. Puberty resumes when the medication stops.

Americans oppose these bans. These bans are also wildly unpopular across political lines, with 69% of Democrats, 70% of Republicans, and 64% of independents standing against prohibiting gender-affirming health care for transgender youth.

THE ISSUES WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT

TRANS CHILDREN DON’T FEEL SAFE IN SCHOOL

According to the 2019 National School Climate Survey, 84% of transgender students don’t feel safe at school. 43.6% have missed school and 23.6% have changed schools for safety reasons. The numbers in Maine are equally troubling. According to the Maine report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 67% of transgender K-12 students in Maine report being verbally harassed, 26% have been physically attacked, and 4% have been sexually assaulted because of being transgender. The 2019 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey found that compared to cisgender students, trans students are twice as likely to be bullied, nearly 4 times as likely to have been injured or threatened with a weapon, and 3 times more likely to have skipped school because they didn’t feel safe. But kids whose schools have a Gay Straight Transgender Alliance (GSTA) or Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) organization feel more supported and are less likely to miss school. Inclusivity through initiatives like those in the Human Rights Campaign Schools in Transition guide also help trans students thrive. 

TAKE ACTION

Support GSA/GSTAs. Schools across the country have GSA/GSTAs organizations. Find one near you from the GSA Network or from GLSEN. including the chapter in Southern Maine. 

Find youth and parent support programs. Maine students and parents can find resources from EqualityMaine’s Youth Initiative, youth support groups from MaineTransNet, youth and parent programs from OUT Maine, Outright Lewiston-Auburn, Portland Outright, and Trans Youth Equality Foundation in Orono. And find a list of national programs here. 

VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

2020 was the deadliest year on record for violent fatal incidents against transgender and gender non-conforming people. The Human Rights Campaign reported at least 44 murders, the highest number since the organization began tracking these statistics in 2013. The real number is almost certainly far higher, as many of these crimes are underreported or misreported. The majority of those killed were Black transgender women, six of whom were killed in a span of nine days last summer in unrelated murders. Nearly 80% of all transgender and gender non-conforming people murdered in the U.S. since 2013 were people of color and research suggests the murder rate among Black and Latinx transgender women is more than double that of Black and Latinx cisgender women. According to the 2015 US Transgender Survey, nearly half of respondents reported verbal harassment, nearly 1 in 10 were physically attacked, and nearly 1 in 10 were sexually assaulted, all because they were transgender.

TAKE ACTION

Learn more about anti-trans violence. Learn more about national efforts to fight anti-trans violence from Lamda Legal.

Support reform efforts. Urge the Biden Administration and your federal elected officials to support recommendations from Human Rights Campaign to address anti-trans violence. 

RESOURCES

Allyship begins with listening, reading, and learning, and the resources on this page are a great place to start. You can also contact the Maine advocacy organizations listed below for information about their ally trainings. Much of this information may be new to you, and there may be missteps on your journey to becoming a good ally. Learn from them, practice what you learned, and do better next time. Support other new allies and share your experiences. The fight for trans rights isn’t new and doesn’t end with an election, a new law, or a court ruling. So, most importantly, don’t give up.

LEARN HOW TO BE AN ALLY

• GLAAD Transgender FAQ: Learn more about transgender people and the issues that are important to them.
• Human Rights Campaign Myths and Facts: Battling disinformation about transgender rights. 
• Tips for Allies from GLAAD
• Straight for Equality: PFLAG’s guide to being a trans ally
• A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth: A resource from the Trevor Project.
• Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life: A guide to being a good ally from the National Center for Transgender Equality.
• Understanding the Issues Facing Transgender Americans, published by the Movement Advancement Project, National Center for Transgender Equality, Transgender Law Center, and GLAAD.
• Support Maine LGBTQ+ businesses: A list of locally-owned businesses from EqualityMaine.
• Track legislation affecting trans people with the ACLU Legislative Tracker and the LFreedom for All Americans Legislative Tracker.

ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPPORT

In Maine:

• MaineTransNet
• EqualityMaine
• OUT Maine
• Maine Department of Education LGBTQ+ Student Resources

National:

• Trevor Project
• Human Rights Campaign
• GLAAD
• Transgender Law Center
• National Center for Transgender Equality

TEN FACTS THAT DON’T LIE

1. Gun violence is the #1 cause of death for American children and teens. More than 4,300 are killed with guns every year in the US.

2. Americans are 26 times more likely to be killed by guns than those from other high-income countries.

3. 40,620 Americans are killed by gun violence in an average year. That’s 110 people every day.

4. The rate of gun deaths in the US has increased by 33% since 2010. 

5. Black Americans are 10 times more likely than White Americans to be killed by guns.

6. Most mass shootings occur within private homes and have a domestic violence component.

7. Access to a gun makes it five times more likely that an abusive partner will kill his female victim. 

8. Access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide and doubles the risk of death by homicide.

9. 90% of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. 90% of suicide attempts without a gun are NOT fatal.

10. Gun violence costs the US more than $280 billion each year.

Find more information about these stats and more at Everytown for Gun Safety, The Brady Campaign, and the CDC

HOW AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT GUN LAWS

Click on the image to learn more about Americans’ opinions on gun laws from Vox.

TEN ARGUMENTS TO KNOCK DOWN

1. Gun reform laws violate the Second Amendment

THE FACTS ARE…

• The US Constitution carefully balances promoting the public good and protecting individual rights. While the Second Amendment does protect individuals’ rights to own weapons, those rights should not extend to scenarios that threaten public safety, in the same way that the First Amendment does not protect individuals who yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater when there is no fire.
• The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that DC’s handgun ban violated the Second Amendment, but Justice Scalia made sure to clarify the ruling by writing, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited,” and “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”
• Assault-style weapon & large-capacity magazine bans: Federal appeals courts have concluded that such laws comply with the Constitution. In 1994 Congress established an assault weapons ban, which included high capacity magazines. The law expired in 2004.
• Age restrictions: The Second Amendment sets no minimum age requirement. Most age restriction laws are focused only on the purchase of assault-style weapons and handguns, and those laws have been upheld in courts. 
• Waiting periods: Although 3-day waiting periods are most common, the courts have upheld waiting periods of up to 10 days.
• Universal background checks: These pose no Second Amendment challenge.

   

2. Gun laws don’t work

THE FACTS ARE…

• Assault-style weapons bans: Research shows that during the 10-year span that the federal Assault Weapons Ban was in place, the number of mass shootings fell by 37% and mass shooting deaths fell by 43%. After the ban lapsed in 2004, mass shootings increased by 183% and mass shooting deaths increased by and a 239%.
• High capacity magazine bans: A 2020 study of state gun laws concluded that bans on high capacity magazines are associated with 38% fewer fatalities and 77% fewer nonfatal injuries when a mass shooting occurred.
• Universal background checks: State laws requiring a permit to purchase a firearm, which includes a background check on all purchases, are associated with 60% lower odds of a mass public shooting occurring.
• Red flag laws: Also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), red flag laws allow police to temporarily remove weapons from a person in crisis. 19 states currently have one. A recent study showed that Connecticut saw a 14% reduction in its firearm suicide rate and Indiana saw a 7.5% reduction. Between 1999 and 2021, at least 16,857 extreme risk petitions were filed in the US.

   

3. Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun 

THE FACTS ARE…

• Unarmed civilians stop 10% more mass shooters than armed civilians. (FBI Report)
• Armed law enforcement kill just 10% of mass shooters. (Everytown Research) 
• Simulations have demonstrated that most people placed in an active shooter situation while armed will not be able to stop the situation, and are likely to be killed or kill fellow civilians in the process. 
• Humans make mistakes. Teachers’ guns have accidentally discharged, been left in bathrooms, fallen out of school refrigerators, wounded students, and ended up in students’ hands. In 2021 a man who stopped a mass shooter with his concealed weapon in Colorado was mistakenly shot and killed by police at the scene.
• States with “right to carry” laws have a 13-15% higher violent crime rate than states without them. (2017, Stanford University)
• Examples like the Uvalde school massacre involved dozens of heavily armed law enforcement officers, who couldn’t prevent one shooter from killing 19 children and two teachers.

   

4. Hardening targets will stop mass shootings

THE FACTS ARE…

• Most mass shootings actually occur in private homes and have a domestic violence component.
• Most school shooters attack their own schools. They already know all the emergency procedures and often have their own access card.
• Unarmed civilians are more effective than armed civilians at stopping mass shooters. (FBI Report)
• School shooting deaths are almost 3 times higher at schools with armed guards. (JAMA)
• Adding armed civilians to an active shooter situation will make it harder for law enforcement to identify the criminal. Teachers and staff with weapons could be accidentally targeted by officers.

5. This is a mental health problem

THE FACTS ARE…

• Only about 4% of violent crime is caused by people with dangerous mental illnesses, and only 22% of mass shootings are caused by those with mental illness. (University of California Study)
• The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent, and even the majority of those with severe mental illness are not violent. (NIH Study)
• People with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence, including by police.
• Mental illness and access to a gun both increase the risk of suicide. Since 88% gun deaths are suicides, better mental health treatment and gun control are both effective at combating that problem. Legislators should increase funding for school counselors, make mental health treatment and more affordable and accessible, and pass “red flag” laws to remove guns from people proven to pose an extreme risk to themselves or others.

   

6. Background checks are inconvenient 

THE FACTS ARE…

• The most common federal background check legislation would simply require that unlicensed sellers meet their buyers at a gun dealer. 99% of Mainers live within 10 miles of a licensed gun dealer (we have more licensed gun dealers than post offices).
• Nearly 90% of background checks are completed immediately. (FBI report)
• Background checks have stopped 4 million gun sales to people with a criminal record. (Everytown Research)
• States that require universal background checks are associated with a 10% lower homicide rate. (Rockefeller Inst study)

   

7. Mainers rejected background checks in 2016

THE FACTS ARE…

• A lot has changed since 2016. In 2021, polling showed that 70% of Mainers and 63% of Maine gun owners support universal background checks. (Giffords Poll)
• 64% of Mainers say they would never vote for a candidate who opposes background checks. (Giffords Poll)
• Background checks are by far the least controversial aspect of gun legislation, according to a whole lot of surveys, and about the same percentage of Americans (80 – 90%) favor universal background checks as they do ice cream.

   

8. “Red flag” laws violate due process

THE FACTS ARE…

• The main due process concern is that Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws authorize “ex parte proceedings”, which means that the protection order is issued without the participation of the person it’s directed toward. While this is true, law enforcement bears a responsibility to protect the public from credible threats. ERPO laws make it easier for law enforcement to determine when and if a threat is credible, because judges determine if there is probable cause for the protection order.
• Only family and household members and law enforcement officers can file a petition for this kind of protection order, not a neighbor, co-worker, or friend. Only judges can determine if the petition merits the issue of a protection order. 
• The judge’s order to remove firearms from a person in crisis is temporary, and can be extended by the judge if the person continues to be considered a risk.
• ERPO laws save lives, and are primarily used for suicide prevention. 90% of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. Laws in Indiana and Connecticut may have prevented hundreds of firearm suicides, according to research published in the journal Psychiatric Services.

   

9. Gun reform laws violate Maine’s constitution

THE FACTS ARE…

• Just like the US Constitution, the Maine State Constitution balances individual rights with the common good. Article 1, Section 16 states: “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.” This is the section legislators love to use as justification for opposing gun reform laws. But scroll back up and you’ll also find this in Article 1, Section 2: “All power is inherent in the people; all free governments are founded in their authority and instituted for their benefit; they have therefore an unalienable and indefensible right to institute government, and to alter, reform, or totally change the same, when their safety and happiness require it.”

10. Maine already has enough gun laws

THE FACTS ARE…

• Among other things, Maine does not:
  • Require a background check for private sales, including sales made online or at gun shows
  • Require state licenses for firearms dealers or owners
  • Prohibit assault-style weapons, 50 caliber rifles, or large capacity magazines
  • Require firearm registration
  • Require a permit or safety training to carry a concealed weapon in public
  • Limit the number of firearms that may be purchased at one time
  • Impose a waiting period on firearm purchases
  • Require domestic abusers to turn over their guns at the scene of a domestic violence incident
• Maine’s law blocking a person convicted of domestic violence from buying a gun is only temporary (5 years) and doesn’t apply to abusers who were only dating their victims.
• Our lax gun laws make Maine a favored location for criminals to acquire guns. 18% of handguns found at Boston crime scenes were bought in Maine. 

THE ISSUE

On April 22 the World will celebrate the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day. From saying no-thanks to single-use disposable products to learning better recycling hygiene, our list of more than 50 lifestyle changes compiled in partnership with various environmental groups offers easy and creative ways for your family to live lighter on the planet by celebrating Earth Day every day. 

Have an idea we didn’t include? Email us at suitupmaine@gmail.com and we’ll add it to the list! You can find more information on the environment and climate change by liking and following Maine Audubon, Maine Conservation Voters, Maine Students for Climate Justice, MOFGA, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Nature Conservancy in Maine, Shaw Institute, Sierra Club Maine, Sunrise Maine and 350Maine.   

Reduce, reuse, repair, repurpose, recycle

• • Reduce packaging waste by buying in bulk. Single-use plastics are at the foundation of an unsustainable consumer culture wreaking havoc on our environment.

• • Avoid single use disposable products. There are lists galore of nifty alternatives to single use disposable items including this one from the Chicago Tribune and this one from Stacker. The moral of the story: nearly every disposable item has a more sustainable alternative.

• • Provide your own reusable bags and containers. Americans discard 100 BILLION plastic shopping bags annually and 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
    *During the coronavirus pandemic, stores request customers suspend reusable bag use.

• • Bring your own reusable utensils. Keep a utensil kit in your car or day bag and use them in lieu of disposable cutlery and plastic straws. 

• • Instead of purchasing new, host a swap party. Clothing, books, housewares and tools—the sky’s the limit! Host a swap party with friends and neighbors before you buy something new. Often, you can avoid spending money unnecessarily for something you’ll only use a handful of times.

• • It’s not a good deal if you don’t need it. Pledge to avoid consumption shopping for pleasure. Hit up yard sales and consignment shops if resisting the urge to buy is too strong.  

• • Use what you have. Resist new products designed to reduce your carbon footprint until you’ve used what’s on hand, first. There is no such thing as “away” and tossing perfectly usable items creates more waste. 
    
• • Up Your Recycling Game: 75% of household waste is recyclable yet only 30% is being recovered. Before you throw away regular household items visit https://search.earth911.com/ to find facilities to recycle anything from nail polish and Christmas lights to worn out clothing and hair dye.

Clothing

• • Donate unwanted clothing. The fashion industry is the second largest global producer of pollution, emitting 1.7 billion tons of CO2 annually. To remain under 2 degrees C of warming, the industry must cut emissions 80% by 2050. To make matters worse, one-quarter of the 150 billion new clothing items that enter the market each year are never worn. In North America, 10.5 million tons of clothing are sent to landfills. Check HERE for a list of places to donate gently used clothing.

• • Avoid fast fashion. Fast fashion – clothing items so cheap, wearers discard them after a single-use, is responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses and environmental degradation of any industry. Rely on second hand and consignment shops and when buying new, look for sustainable fashion.

• • Keep microplastics out of the water supply. Synthetic fibers like fleece, release microplastics into the water supply during laundering. The Guppy Friend bag collects these tiny fibers and prevents them from leaching into the environment.

• • Opt for clothing made from biodegradable natural fibers which break down once discarded. When purchasing new clothing, invest in items that last for years.

• • Repair your footwear. Instead of replacing shoes, have them resoled or repaired. 

• • Wear clothing items several times before washing. Extending the life of your garments just 9 months can reduce carbon, water, and waste by 20-30%.

Be a good recycler

• • Proper cleaning and sorting of materials is crucial. Remove all food particles from recyclables and rinse containers thoroughly before tossing them into the recycling bin. Food waste and non-recyclable products contaminate batches of recycling rendering them unsalable.  

• • Leave soiled paper products out. Oily pizza boxes and the like should not be added to your recycling bin. If desired, remove the soiled sections and recycle what remains.

• • Opt for a reusable coffee cup. Disposable coffee cups are generally multi layer and non-recyclable and should be thrown away.

• • If it’s smaller than 2×2”, leave it out of the recycling bin. Small, narrow items like shredded paper, bread bag ties and bottle caps slip through cracks in recycling equipment and can’t be recovered. Secure bottle caps and avoid adding shredded paper to bins, which can be used as packing materials, bedding or an addition to your compost pile. 

• • Don’t be a “wish-cycler.” From batteries and diapers to lobster shells and sneakers, contaminants in the recycling bin drive up costs for everyone and contaminate batches of recycling rendering them useless. Know what your local recycling facility accepts for collection. Casella Waste Management serves many towns in Maine and offers this helpful list.

• • Electronic equipment does not belong in the recycling bin. Check first with the manufacturer regarding current take-back programs.

• • Bring plastic bags and packaging to store drop off locations. Find your nearest location HERE.

• • Establish a free collection program. Many common household products including disposable razors, Brita and other water filtration items, Gerber products, P&G Soft Packaging, disposable contact lens pouches, Solo cup products, Swiffer brand products, Toms of Maine, Burt’s Bees and more can be recycled through one of Terracycle’s FREE RECYCLING PROGRAMS. When you sign up you earn points redeemable to the nonprofit or school of your choice. 

• • Introduce good recycling habits and make recycling fun! This Wicked Smaht Recycler game from EcoMaine or this one from  National Geographic are great ways to teach kids that recycling can be fun.

• • Looking for more educational activities for kids? Ecomaine has a wealth of free downloadable educational resources. Check them out HERE.

• • Stay informed. Has recycling changed in your local municipality? Learn about changes HERE. If recycling in your community has changed for the worse, reach out to local leadership.

Dietary changes matter

• • Support local food production. On average, every plate of food you consume travels 1,200 miles. Visit farmer’s markets and support the nearest Community Supported Agriculture programs. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers this interactive map to help you find the farms closest to you.

• • Maine’s Harvest Bucks. The Harvest Bucks program offers shoppers using SNAP via EBT access to healthy, local food providing bonuses of fresh fruits and veggies helping to stretch limited food budgets. Find a participating farmer’s market near you.

• • One meal a week makes a big difference. Food production accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to vegetarian just one meal per week for a year prevents the equivalent in GHG emissions of driving 1,160 miles. 

• • Eat lower on the food chain. Shifting from red meat and dairy to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet less than one day per week’s worth of calories achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally sourced food.

• • How much carbon is on your plate? Check out how foods you commonly eat contribute to your carbon footprint and see which of the most carbon intensive foods you can swap for less polluting options.

Household electricity use

• • Don’t linger at the fridge. Refrigerators are one of the largest users of household energy in the home. Decide what you want BEFORE opening the door and don’t linger. Find more fridge efficiency practices HERE.

• • Hang your laundry. In the winter, laundry doubles as a natural humidifier reducing your carbon footprint further. Air-drying clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint by a whopping 2,400 pounds a year. Hang clothes indoors on a wooden drying rack.

• • Avoid “Phantom Load.” Energy consumed by appliances as they sit unused accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Plug devices like routers, modems, tvs, dvd players, video game consoles and cell phone chargers into a power strip and hit the off button when you leave home.

• • Switch to LEDs. If every household changed bulbs in the 5 most used lights in their home, it would prevent the equivalent GHG emissions from nearly 6 million cars, save enough energy to light 33 million homes for a year and save $5 billion in energy costs!

Heating and cooling

• • How Much is 1° Worth? For every degree you lower your thermostat in winter or raise (AC) in summer, you save more than 3% on your energy use. This can really add up over time and not only reduce your carbon footprint significantly it also saves you money!

• • Turn your thermostat down. Put on a sweater or curl up with a warm blanket instead. In summer, close shades and curtains to keep your home cooler. 

• • Use a space heater instead. The median home size in the U.S. is approximately 2,400 square feet. Homes have continued to grow in size despite the average household size shrinking considerably since 1960. Instead of heating the entire house, consider using a space heater to heat the space you are using.  

• • Improve your home’s energy efficiency. Household energy use is one of the greatest household contributors to carbon emissions and New England has some of the oldest homes in the nation. Efficiency Maine offers low interest loans, incentives and help with energy and weatherization of your home.

• • Upgrade your heating and cooling systems. In the market to replace a heating or cooling system in your home? Consider ductless heat pumps. In June of 2019, Governor Janet Mills signed a bill increasing the state rebate making installation even more attainable for Maine families.

Household food waste

• • Know before you throw. In the U.S., up to 40% of food ends up in landfills, releasing methane into the atmosphere which is up to 86 times more potent than CO2. Reducing food waste could have nearly the same impact on reducing emissions over the next three decades as onshore wind turbines. Learn the difference between “sell-by,” “use-by,” “best-by,” and expiration dates to avoid unnecessary food and money waste. 

• • Preplan your meals. Use Natural Resources Defense Council’s nifty tool Meal Prep Mate to help ensure that you only buy what you plan to eat.

• • Compost! Want to make a difference? Compost! In the US we compost only 6.3% of our food waste vs 15% in the European Union – we can do better.

• • Eat local. Transportation of food accounts for 11% of the energy use in the food production cycle. Eat local and support your local economy while enjoying the freshest local foodstuffs available.

Transportation

• • Take it easy on the gas and brake pedal. Unnecessary acceleration and braking reduce fuel efficiency as much as 40%.

• • Don’t idle. Running quickly into a store? Turn the car off when you’ll be parked safely for more than 10 seconds.

• • Dump extra cargo. Carrying 100 lbs of unnecessary weight in your vehicle reduces fuel efficiency by 1%. This  impacts smaller vehicles more than large ones.

• • Keep tires properly inflated improving  fuel efficiency by up to 3%.

• • Nix excessive speed. Driving faster than 50mph decreases fuel efficiency.

• • Maintenance matters. Regular oil changes increase fuel efficiency up to 4%. Regular maintenance of your vehicle can make a big difference: Keeping air and fuel filters clean saves as much as 10%. Using manufacturer recommended oil increases efficiency by 2% and extends the life of your vehicle.

• • Park in the shade. Reduce the need for air conditioning in summer by parking in the shade and opting  for open windows when driving in town. 

• • Try a rideshare. Through gomaine.org, a collaboration between the Maine Turnpike Authority and MaineDOT, members can sign up for free to arrange carpooling opportunities throughout the state.  

• • Consider walking. Opting to walk just half of commutes less than 1 mile, we could save 2 million metric tons of carbon/yr, the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road! In addition, walking and biking are great exercise. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine offers educational programs and safety tips at bikemaine.org 

THE ISSUE

Maine legislators are considering a bill to protect Wabanaki rights by restoring the tribes’ inherent right to self-governance by enacting consensus recommendations from a bipartisan task force convened to address long-standing issues with the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act (MICSA) and the state law that accompanied it, the Maine Implementing Act. Passed in 1980, the settlement was a negotiation between the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the state and federal governments. Even though tribes in Maine never ceded federally recognized rights, the state and courts have for 40 years used language in the settlement to treat the tribes as little more than municipalities, leaving them with fewer rights than all other federally recognized tribes across the country. Under MICSA, tribes in Maine were unable to benefit from more than 150 federal laws passed since 1980, missing out on opportunities for economic development, increased access to health care, expanded environmental protections, enhanced K-12 education, and legislation that fostered job creation, ensured safe drinking water, and strengthened laws regarding prevention and prosecution of sexual assault and domestic violence. A 2012 report from the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, created by the 1980 settlement to continually review its effectiveness, found that MICSA “created structural inequities that have resulted in conditions that have risen to the level of human rights violations.” 

These inequities prompted the creation of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act, a bipartisan group of tribal leaders, legislators, and state officials. After six months of hearings, meetings, interviews, and research, the task force issued a report in January 2020 with sweeping recommendations to restore tribal sovereignty over a range of issues, including the prosecution of crimes on tribal lands, the regulation of fishing, hunting, and other uses of natural resources on tribal lands, gaming, taxation, and land acquisition. The task force’s recommendations do not affect the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, who are pursuing their own sovereignty proposal through parallel efforts. 

LD 1626, sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-South Portland) and supported by the Wabanaki Alliance, is an omnibus bill to enact most of those recommendations. The legislation is supported by Rep. Jared Golden (D-CD2) and a broad coalition of nearly 100 environmental, faith-based, and social and racial justice organizations, including Suit Up Maine. The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Tuesday, February 15 at 9am.

ACTIONS

• Be one of the 500: Submit testimony! The Wabanaki Alliance has set a goal of 500 written testimonies in support of LD 1626 before the public hearing on February 15 and is challenging allies to step up! Your testimony does not have to be long and submitting it online takes only a few minutes. Find links below to a FAQ and talking points to help you get started and instructions for how to submit your testimony through the Legislature website.
  
• Deliver your testimony during the hearing. You can sign up to deliver your written testimony live during the public hearing, which will be held via Zoom. Learn how to do that below and in this guide from the Wabanaki Alliance. 
  
• Email your legislators. Email your testimony to your legislators and urge them to support LD 1626. Find your legislators here.
• Write an LTE. Turn your testimony into a letter to the editor for your local paper! Find out how in LTE guides from Suit Up Maine or the Wabanaki Alliance. 
• Support the Wabanaki Alliance. Find out how you can support the Wabanaki tribes by visiting the Wabanaki Alliance website and joining their email list. 

WRITE AND SUBMIT YOUR TESTIMONY 

• Use the LD1626 FAQ and Talking Points from the Wabanaki Alliance to craft your testimony. Keep it brief, make it personal, and let legislators know that when the Wabanaki thrive, we all thrive. 
• Find tips and pointers in the Alliance’s testimony guide. 
• Go to: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
• Select public hearing
• Select Judiciary Committee
• Select February 15, 2022 9 am
• Select LD 1626
• If you would like to present your testimony during the hearing, select “I would like to present my testimony live” then select “I am for the proposed legislation.” If you will not present live, leave that box unchecked and proceed to the next step.
• Upload a PDF or Word doc with your testimony or write a few paragraphs directly into the text box.
• Enter the requested contact information. 
• Select the “I am not a robot” captcha.
• Select “Submit/Register”

Every bill that goes before the Maine Legislature gets a public hearing, offering Mainers an opportunity to make their voice heard on every piece of legislation our elected officials consider. It’s a hallmark of our citizen Legislature and a key step to holding our elected officials accountable. Suit Up Maine testified on more than a dozen bills during the first half of the 130th Legislature, which ended in July. Find our testimony below. We also tracked more than 60 bills during the first half of the session. Learn more about those bills in our Legislature Roundup Wrap-up. The second half of the session will begin in January 2022.

BILLS WE SUPPORTED

Restoring Tribal Sovereignty.  LD 1626, An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act. 
Maine’s government has a long history of breaking promises to the Wabanaki people, resulting in deeply ingrained generational trauma that remains to this day. We applaud the efforts of Maine legislators and Governor Mills for acknowledging that harm and to remaining open to remedies that restore good faith and trust between parties. The bipartisan Task Force on Changes to the Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act performed a critical role in this effort by highlighting long-standing causes of friction and making recommendations to address them, based on mutual agreement and benefit. The recommended changes to the Implementing Act are essential to demonstrating, in good faith, that Maine recognizes the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians as sovereign nations. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: LD 1626 has been held over until the second regular session, which will begin in January 2022. 

Removing barriers to health care for all Mainers. LD 718, An Act To Improve the Health of Maine Residents by Closing Coverage Gaps in the MaineCare Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. 
Maine has a long history of welcoming immigrants to our state, and we have always been the better for it. So, in 1996 when the federal government barred most immigrants from participating in social safety net programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Temporary Aid for Needy Families, Maine stepped in with state funds to ensure immigrants living here had access to the care and aid they needed. That support for new Mainers ended with restrictions included in a budget passed in 2011, which stripped health coverage, food assistance, and other aid from many immigrants. Legislators have the opportunity now to right part of that wrong by extending MaineCare and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage to noncitizen residents who are ineligible for coverage under the federal health programs, regardless of their immigration status. Read the full testimony.
STATUS: The supplemental budget passed in July restored MaineCare to all eligible pregnant people and those under age 21, regardless of their immigration status. LD 718 has been held over, with a goal of restoring MaineCare to all Maine adults next year.

Increasing racial equity in legislation. LD 2, An Act To Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process.
Last summer, racial disparities in Maine were laid bare when it was reported that our state had the nation’s highest racial disparity in COVID-19 cases. Despite making up just 5.7% of Maine’s population, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) accounted for 33% of those who had tested positive for COVID-19 as of June 2020. While this news made national headlines, it came as no surprise to BIPOC and racial justice advocates in Maine. In a state where nearly 95% of the population is white, the subject of race has been too often ignored in public policy, a glaring omission that LD 2 seeks to address by incorporating racial impact statements into the legislative process. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: LD 2 passed unanimously in the House and by a vote of 25-7 in the Senate and has been signed into law by the governor. 

Expanding dental care for more Mainers. LD 996, An Act To Improve Dental Health for Maine Children and Adults with Low Incomes.
While MaineCare provides preventive dental care for children, ours is one of just 10 state Medicaid programs to offer emergency-only coverage for adults. According to the American Dental Association, 1 in 5 low-income Mainers say their mouth and teeth are in poor condition and that the appearance of their teeth has negatively impacted their performance in job interviews. More than 40% of those Mainers have trouble biting or chewing and 45% experience dental pain occasionally or very often. Nearly 80% of low-income Mainers expect to lose teeth with age compared to just 42% of those with higher incomes. And 64% of those who failed to seek dental care in the previous year cited cost as the reason. LD 996 would change that by adding preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services for adults 21 years and older. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: The supplemental budget passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor includes funding to expand MaineCare to cover preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services to adults. That means that passing a law requiring funding isn’t necessary. 

Creating a consumer-owned utility for Maine. LD 1708, An Act To Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit Utility, To Deliver Lower Rates, Reliability and Local Control for Maine Energy Independence. 
Of all the bills we have supported over the past four years, LD 1708 is by far one of the most creative—and timely. Creating a consumer-owned utility will accomplish what Maine’s investor-owned utilities will never do: Put control of Maine’s energy future in the hands of Mainers. Pine Tree Power would not only better position us to meet our climate and renewable energy goals, this endeavor would also provide Mainers with a more affordable, reliable electric utility. Read the full testimony.
STATUS: The bill passed in initial votes in the House and Senate but hit a snag on the last day of the session. Legislators will resume debate when the Legislature reconvenes June 30.

Paid Family and Medical Leave. LD 1559, Resolve, To Create the Commission To Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program.
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world without a paid family leave system, even though 85% of Americans—including 75.5% of Mainers—support the idea. LD 1559 takes a crucial step toward addressing that problem, by creating a commission to develop a plan and implementation strategy for paid family and medical leave (PFML) in Maine. States with PFML report no increased costs as a result of the program, decreased employee turnover, fewer emergency room visits by adult, non-elderly Medicaid recipients, decreased financial burden of illness, improved worker morale and productivity, and lower infant mortality. In Maine and across the U.S., Black people and women are more likely to work front-line jobs with limited access to benefits. A PFML system in Maine would reduce these inequities, and ensure working Mainers don’t have to choose between a paycheck and caring for loved ones. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: The bill passed the House and Senate by wide margins and has been placed on the Special Appropriations table to await a funding decision.

BILLS WE OPPOSED

Oppose anti-abortion legislation. These bills are part of a national attack on reproductive health care. Since January, 536 bills to restrict abortion access—including 146 abortion bans—have been introduced in 46 states, and 61 of those have already been enacted in 13 states. The bills described below would require health care providers to share medically inaccurate information with their patients (LD 825 and LD 851); subject patients to a medically unnecessary procedure and force a 48-hour delay before they could receive the health care they need (LD 1229); force people who undergo an abortion or who have a miscarriage to foot the bill for burial or cremation of fetal remains (LD 1225); and reverse a law designed to ensure all Mainers have access to legal health care, regardless of their income (LD 748 and LD 915). There is little doubt that this slate of legislation is designed not to improve the health of pregnant people, but rather to the detriment of their care. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: All six bills were defeated in the House and Senate.

Oppose Anti-Vaxx bills. Maine and the world have had an unfortunate glimpse this past year of how quickly an infectious virus can sweep through schools, workplaces, places of worship, residential facilities, and our homes. The end result, as we all know, has been more than a half a million deaths, millions of infections, and long-term illness that forced business closures and a deeply disruptive school year. This public health crisis is exactly what vaccines are designed to prevent. This suite of bills (LD 96, LD 156, LD 833, and LD 1082) would greatly undermine a strong public health law we helped pass in 2019 that was upheld last year by nearly 73% of Maine voters. Maine cannot afford an outbreak of measles, chickenpox, or pertussis that harms our most vulnerable citizens. Our strong vaccine law must be protected. Read the full testimony.
STATUS: All four bills were defeated in the House and Senate. 

Oppose anti-trans legislation. In what appears to be a coordinated national attack, legislators in 33 states, including Maine, have introduced more than 100 bills that aim to strip civil rights from transgender children and adults. The bills below were heard by the Maine Legislature this session, and all violate the Maine Human Rights Act, a statute passed in 2005 that bans discrimination based on gender identity. Anti-LGBTQ hate groups are reportedly behind the national push to pass anti-trans laws, which are overwhelmingly opposed by the majority of Americans, including most Republicans. 

» Reject sports bans for transgender girls and women. LD 926, An Act To Ban Biological Males from Participating in Women’s Sports. and LD 1401, An Act To Prohibit Biological Males from Participating in School Athletic Programs and Activities Designated for Females at Schools That Receive Federal Funding.
Research suggests that children who play sports have higher self-esteem, better grades, and lower rates of obesity, depression, suicide, and tobacco, drugs, and alcohol use. With benefits such as these, we should be encouraging children to play sports, not entertaining legislation that only seeks to stigmatize kids and subject those who don’t conform to an outwardly feminine appearance to an invasive pelvic exam if their participation on a girls’ or women’s sports team is challenged. LD 926 and LD 1401 are part of a documented, national attack on transgender rights by a coalition of anti-LGBTQ hate groups that has spawned more than 100 bills in at least 33 states to strip trans people of their civil rights, health care, and self-determination. We cannot allow this national campaign of intolerance and hate to get a foothold in Maine. Read the full testimony.
STATUS: LD 1401 was killed in committee. LD 926 was defeated in the House and will go to the Senate on June 30. 

» Protect access to emergency shelters for trans girls and women in crisis. LD 1238, An Act To Authorize Shelters That Serve Women To Refuse Access to Persons Who Are Transgender.
People who find themselves in need of emergency shelter are in crisis, a situation all too familiar to transgender people, who are at significantly greater risk for intimate partner violence and homelessness. Under this bill, trans girls and women who desperately need shelter could be denied that path to safety, based on a false claim that trans women are predators. It’s a tired stereotype that has no more foundation in fact today than it did when it was used 50 years ago against Black men as a defense for racial segregation. We cannot allow legislation such as this to blow a hole through Maine’s Human Rights Act, opening the door for private emergency shelters to discriminate against anyone, for any reason. Read the full testimony. 
STATUS: LD 1238 was defeated in the House and Senate. 

Oppose “stand your ground” legislation. LD 1138, An Act To Ensure the Right to Self-defense Exists outside the Home by Removing the Requirement To Retreat. 
As many as 50 people are killed each day nationwide as a result of “stand your ground” bills passed in more than half of the states in the U.S. A 2017 study found that after Florida’s law was passed, firearm homicides increased by 32%. In 68% of the cases in which the “stand your ground” law was used as justification, the person killed wasn’t armed. Research also suggests that “stand your ground laws” are applied more often when the shooters are white: While 45% of shootings of Black people by white people are found justified in states with these laws, only between 9% and 11% are ruled justified when the shooter is Black. And now, legislators have introduced “shoot first” legislation here in Maine. Read the full testimony.
STATUS: The bill was defeated in the House 79-62 and in the Senate 20-15 and is now dead.