This week we need our League members more than ever. We have four important Take Action items below, ranging from urging your U.S. Senators to support the "For The People Act" to getting LD 2 across the finish line. LD 2 would require the inclusion of racial impact statements in the legislative process in Maine. Read more about both of these below — and a couple of others.
Maine Senate District 14 has a special election tomorrow, March 9, to replace Shenna Bellows's vacant seat. Follow our Twitter feed for quick updates or stay tuned for more details once the race has concluded. (The Town of Freeport also has a special referendum election on March 9.)
NEWS:
Legislative Session: The Maine State Legislature will be in session Wednesday and Thursday, March 10 and 11, for the first time since December. Find session information here.
This week's lineup: We plan to testify on two important bills this week in the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee (VLA) . You can see the full committee schedules here. Our testimony will be archived here.
LD 208 — An Act To Expand Access to Absentee Ballots. LWVME testifying neither for nor against (NFNA).
LD 580 — RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding Early Voting. LWVME testifying in support.
Next week, we’re preparing for important testimony (NFNA) on allowing people to vote when they turn 16 (that’s LD 706) and on three bills in support of banning foreign contributions to Maine campaigns (LDs 194, 479, and 641).
WHAT THE LEAGUE IS WORKING ON:
Contact your Maine state legislators and ask them to support LD 2: LD 2 has been voted out of committee and will soon be voted on by the full legislature, possibly this week. You can look up your legislator and send them a quick message here. Racism is a problem in Maine that shows up when we look at the data in systems like education, health care, housing, employment, income, wealth, criminal justice, and more. But looking at the data and discussing race has never been a central part of crafting legislation in Maine. LD 2 could create a process to start those conversations and to analyze racial impact when bills are being considered.
Contact your U.S. Senator and ask them to support H.R. 1/S.R. 1: Last week, H.R. 1, also known as the "For The People Act," passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now it goes to the Senate. Call Senator Agnus King and Senator Susan Collins, and urge them to support S.R. 1. To call your senators’ offices, dial 1-888-453-3211. You will hear a short script, and then you will be connected to the switchboard or directly with one of their offices. *This service is run in partnership with Stand Up America. Callers will not be automatically added to Stand Up America's lists, but they will receive a text message after calling asking if they'd like to opt into their list, which people are free to ignore.
Testify in support of banning foreign contributions: Next Monday, March 15, LDs 194, 479, and 641 will have their public hearing in the VLA Committee. These bills would restrict foreign contributions, i.e. no foreign contributions to influence referenda or candidate campaigns. We are looking for individuals to testify in support of these bills — we will help you write your testimony! For those who are interested, please email Will at will@lwvme.org.
Tell your story: The League of Women Voters of Maine is working with a coalition to pass a bill that will integrate Online Voter Registration (OVR) into Maine’s election system. We're looking for stories. Do you face difficulties or barriers to register or update your voter registration under the current system? Have you had an experience that would have been easier with OVR? For those who would like to share their story, please email Will at will@lwvme.org.