“I had hoped that all of these legislative leaders would have had an interest in preserving the integrity of fair and clean elections. It benefits all of us to overcome the widespread perception that politicians can be bought and sold like race car drivers whose corporate sponsors are emblazoned on their jackets,” said Rep.John Hinck. “Instead, Maine Republicans toed the party line to block this important effort to protect Maine’s body politic from special interest influences and ensure the integrity of Maine electoral system.”

Members of the Legislative Council, made up of six Republicans and four Democrats from the House and Senate Leadership, stopped consideration of Hinck’s legislation which would have barred corporations from making contributions to candidates running at the state level in Maine. The legislation, entitled “An Act to Limit to Natural Persons the Right to Contribute to Political Campaigns,” was submitted on the heels of a Montana Supreme Court decision upholding Montana’s ban less than a month ago.

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Maine Can Do Better, a broad coalition of more than 150 partner organizations, held a vigil tonight before Gov. Paul LePage’s State of the State Address to draw attention to his irresponsible and dangerous budget proposals.

“We are here representing the people who cannot be here to speak for themselves. We are here because we believe Maine can do better,” said Betsey Sweet, a founding member of the Maine Can Do Better coalition. “We believe the budget proposal is irresponsible. And while some politicians only think as far as the next election, we are Mainers for the long haul. When we look at the numbers, it is clear that we don’t have a fiscal crisis, we have a priorities crisis.”

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State Rep. Jon Hinck, a candidate for the United States Senate, announced that he has submitted a bill in the Maine Legislature effectively barring corporate contributions to candidates for state office in Maine. The bill, entitled “An Act to Limit to Natural Persons the Right to Contribute to Political Campaigns,” mirrors a law passed in Montana which was subsequently upheld by Montana’s Supreme Court.

“Today marks the two year anniversary of the controversial 5 to 4 Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United case,” said Hinck, who has made pushing back against special interests a centerpiece of his campaign, “in just two short years, Americans are realizing the disastrous ramifications of that decision on our Democracy. We must act here, in Maine, to prevent the corrupting influences of special interest corporations on our elections.”

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January 21st marks the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission. This decision gives corporations, associations, and labor unions the same free speech right as individual citizens. And consequently, grants corporations carte blanche spending on political campaigns. The consequences of the Citizens United ruling has been profoundly negative on elections across our country. Essentially, the voice of the people has been drowned out by the voice of multi-billion dollar corporations.

And, Mainers know what this means. It means that these corporate sponsors who fund high priced political campaigns buy a seat at the table and call the shots once their candidate is in office.

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Governor LePage’s commented at a Capitol for a Day event in Lewiston that he would have to close schools April 1, 2012, to meet the budget needs.

“It is unconscionable that the Governor is using school children as leverage for his agenda,” said Sen. Alfond. “Maine’s Constitution is clear. The Governor does not have the authority to shut down Maine’s schools.”

According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, the governor specifically said, “If the Legislature didn’t ratify his proposed budget he would be forced to close the state’s schools.”

“The governor’s statements are not accurate, and they are not helpful in solving the problems we face,” said Rep. Emily Cain, D-Orono, the House Democratic Leader. “Making dramatic statements and presenting false choices distracts from real work and creates unnecessary fear in our communities. The Appropriations Committee is working hard to make incredibly difficult choices and find alternatives to the governor’s budget. These continued distractions will not put us any closer to solving the budget challenge. We urge the governor to focus on the facts instead of drumming up fear and blame.”

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A measure that would protect students from bullying in Maine schools was stalled today during a work session of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. The bill nearly passed into law in 2011 but was sent back to the Education Committee at the last minute in the face of opposition from the Christian Civic League.

“Maine students can’t afford for this bill to be delayed any longer,” said Rep. Terry Morrison, who sponsored the bill and has strongly advocated for it after hearing from hundreds of students and parents in his district. “While this measure gets held up by unnecessary political wrangling, students in schools across our state are being threatened and bullied by their peers.”

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Democratic State Rep. Anna Blodgett of Augusta introduced a bill to help protect children by making it a crime to fail to report a missing child under the age of 13 within 48 hours or to fail to cooperate with an investigation into the death of a child. She presented her legislation before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on January 19.

“I submitted this bill and proposed amendments because it is a tragedy that children go missing every day and we should be doing everything we can to try and find them,” said Rep. Blodgett. “I was contacted by over 100 constituents who shared my concerns and asked me to submit a bill.”

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In December attorney Joe Baldacci filed suit for Russell and Dr. Ellie Handler against officials of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office. Almost immediately the state had the documents of the suit – which alleges DHHS and Waldo Sherriff Department negligence, misconduct and fraud – sealed.

On January 12, 2012, Baldacci filed a Motion to Unseal the suit against Maine DHHS with the US Federal Court in Portland, Maine. The State Attorney General’s Office is expected to continue to adamantly oppose any public access to information about the lawsuit.

“For us this matter has been the child welfare equivalent of a death penalty case,” stated the Handlers. “We lost our child due to negligence and wrongdoing, which we lay out in detail in the lawsuit. This case is the embodiment of why Freedom of Information Act and Sunshine in Government statutes exist. And that is why we believe there is a need for more, not less, transparency in this matter.”

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Martin Luther King Jr. public photo

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Take a moment of time to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by reflecting upon how he helped in America’s struggle for equal rights for all. They are your rights, too. Think of how you can make his shared American dream come true.

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“In my 22 years following the Legislature, I have never seen a committee hand over drafting of a committee bill to unelected citizens,”said Cathy Johnson, North Woods Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

Members of a broad coalition of conservation and planning groups are raising concerns about reforms proposed for the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) and how those reforms are being addressed in the Legislature. Maine’s legendary North Woods – the anchor of our forest products and tourism economies and our natural outdoors heritage – stands to pay a high price.

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