“I am getting on the bus to represent the thousands of moms, dads, and grandparents across Maine who are tired of feeling frustrated and powerless about the use of dangerous chemicals in products our children come in contact with every day,” said Megan Rice, a mother of two from the town of China. “And when I get to Washington, I intend to ask our Senators and Representatives if they are standing with the chemical companies, or with Maine families and businesses, because Maine moms aren’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

The moms are traveling all day Monday to join the “Safe Chemicals Brigade” on Tuesday, May 22nd that is taking place on the lawn of the US Capitol. Hundreds of moms from around the country are expected to come together to demand action from Congress. Tuesday afternoon, the bus riders are scheduled to meet with Senators Snowe and Collins, as well as staff members for Rep’s Michaud and Pingree.

Since kicking off a one-week signature gathering effort last week, bus riders have used Facebook, Twitter, and email blasts to reach their goal of 2,500 petition signatures destined for the desks of every member of Congress. As of Monday morning they had collected 2,572 signatures on their website, www.MaineMoms.org , and more were still arriving.

The riders are hopeful that their actions will lead to support for the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011. Introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg, this bill is expected to be considered by the Environment and Public Works Committee later this month. This marks the first time a bill to fix what the moms call a ‘badly broken’ chemical safety system is being considered by a full Senate Committee.

Supporters say the Safe Chemicals Act will set right an upside-down system by requiring chemical companies to demonstrate the safety of their products using the best available science, creating market incentives for safer alternatives, and giving parents the best information possible about chemicals in products that children use every day.

“This law was passed and renewed twice without a fight because reducing violence against women has always been something everyone can agree on, but this time Republicans in the House have decided they want to play politics with it,” said Pingree.

Since the Violence Against Women Act was passed in 1994, domestic violence crimes have dropped by more than half. The law was reauthorized twice without a partisan fight and last month the Senate again reauthorized it, with bipartisan support including the votes of Senators Snowe and Colliins.

House Republicans are bringing their own version of the Violence Against Women Act up for a vote today, which weakens protection for immigrant women, women who are victims of domestic abuse on tribal lands and LGBT victims of domestic violence.

“For nearly twenty years the law has protected immigrant women from domestic violence and retaliation but the version of the bill the Republicans have introduced not only rolls back those protections, but would have government agents contact abusers and tell them their battered wives are seeking protection,” Pingree said. “It’s just plain shameful.”

Pingree has cosponsored the Senate-passed version of the bill in the House and has called on Congressional leaders to put it up for a vote.

“The Senate bill strengthens the Violence Against Women Act and the House bill weakens it,” Pingree said. “I guess the question comes down to just how much violence against women are politicians willing to accept?”

Portland, Maine, Mayor Michael Brennan voiced concern over the proposed thirty percent cut to programs funded by the Fund for a Healthy Maine (FHM) and administered by the City of Portland. FHM, funds received by the state from the Master Tobacco Settlement, are the only dollars dedicated to prevent chronic disease and health promotion in Maine. While details are not complete, the Republican Legislative Leadership budget proposal calls for cuts of at least $250,000 to city programs specifically Healthy Maine Partnerships, school-based health centers and home visitation.

“As a legislator, I was proud to be a part of the effort to invest the monies coming from the tobacco settlement into programs that would prevent disease and help Mainers live healthy and active lives, and as Mayor, I see the direct benefit of these investments in our community,” stated Mayor Brennan. “This simple fact of the matter is that the old adage penny wise and pound foolish applies to these cuts. For every dollar the state has invested in these prevention efforts, Maine has saved approximately $7.50 in costs, the highest return of investment for any state in the country.”

Brennan served in Maine’s state senate where he worked extensively on health issues.

“Healthy families are the key to a healthy economy. Children do better in school, workers are more productive and businesses can add jobs because their health care costs are lower. I consistently hear from businesses leaders that healthcare costs are holding them back from expanding. If we want to be aggressive about building our economy for the future we need to adopt policies that help businesses control these costs and investments in prevention and health promotion are key,” said Brennan.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American health care system currently spends $238 billion per year in excess costs. These costs are associated with the cost of care for people with preventable chronic disease like type2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. More than half of those costs are financed through Medicare and Medicaid.

Two of the three leading causes of preventable death, tobacco and obesity, cost Mainers millions of dollars each year. Medical expenditures attributable to obesity have been estimated at approximately $767 million dollars per year. The annual healthcare costs in Maine directly caused by smoking totals approximately $602 million each year. On average, tobacco and obesity related medical expenses cost each Maine household approximately $2,523 every year. Chronic conditions associated with preventable causes are expensive to treat, but relatively inexpensive to prevent.

The budget proposal calls for $185,000 in cuts to the city’s Healthy Maine Partnerships, Healthy Portland and Healthy Casco Bay. These programs are community coalitions that focus on preventing tobacco use, eliminating involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing physical activity, and improving nutrition. Beyond the direct health benefit, the Healthy Maine Partnerships in Cumberland County have been able to bring in more than $ 4.5 million of additional local, state and federal prevention dollars to the region.

More than 3,500 students receive primary health care at one of the city’s six school based health centers. These centers ensure that all Portland youth have access to health care. Should the proposed cuts be approved two of these clinics would be closed, thereby eliminating health care coverage for hundreds of children.

The impact of the proposed cuts to FHM would result in a 14% reduction of funding for the city’s Home Visitation program, which serves three hundred and fifty families annually with home visits and nine hundred families per year with support groups. This program helps to ensure that from birth Maine children’s health is a priority.

“I know this is a deeply emotional issue for you, and you should be congratulated for having the courage to come here today and tell your stories.  By going to Capitol Hill and talking to Members of Congress directly about your story, you will help bring about real change,” said Pingree.

The meeting, called “Truth and Justice: The 2012 Summit on Military Sexual Violence,” included victims of sexual assault from Maine who had traveled to Washington to participate and tell their story.

Jennifer Norris from Rumford is a 15-year veteran of the Air National Guard who said she was raped and sexually assaulted soon after joining the military.

“I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me, I had lost my purpose in life.  And when I started to see other people who were victims I realized it was my duty to speak out and bring attention to this problem,” said Norris. “It gives me a sense of purpose.  I’m a soldier again, but now for a new cause.”

Pingree has sponsored legislation that would make it easier for veterans diagnosed with PTSD from sexual assault to get benefits. Currently veterans are often denied benefits because records of an assault are incomplete or unclear, and Pingree’s legislation would address those cases by lowering the standard of proof that the victims are required to provide.

After meetings and panel discussions this morning, veterans at today’s conference were headed to the U.S. Capitol to ask their local members of Congress to support Pingree’s bill and raise awareness around the issue.

Pingree recently met with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who agreed to make several changes to Pentagon policy regarding sexual assault in the military, including the establishment of a special victims unit and mandatory training for all personnel within two weeks of joining the military.

Pingree also praised Senator Susan Collins for her work on the issue.

“This is an issue that cuts across party lines. It’s not conservative or liberal or Democratic or Republican, it’s about basic decency and fairness for the men and women who serve our country in uniform,” said Pingree.

Collins, along with Senator John Kerry, helped pass an amendment to a defense policy bill that expands legal rights and protections for service members who have been victims of sexual assault.

These commemorative coins have the same image of the Women Veterans Plaque that hangs in the Hall of Flags Hall of Flags at the State House in Augusta. The effort to highlight the service of women to our country began in 2009. The coins will be presented to eight women who are veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and Persian Gulf War. There will be other women veterans honored, in the same way, throughout the state in the coming years. Donations to keep the project going can be made.

“Taking care of a family member is one of the most important jobs anyone can have and people who make that choice should not be penalized by having their Social Security benefits reduced,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. “A caregiver credit would help preserve the future financial stability of family members who stay home or reduce their work hours to take care of a loved one. It’s good for individuals, it’s good for workers and it’s good for our whole society.”

The poll also said that 38.7 percent expressed strong support for the proposal, and only 10.6 percent strongly opposed the measure. The poll of 475 likely voters has a margin of error of 4.5 percent, 95 times out of 100.

“These results show that Maine people don’t just support protecting Social Security, as poll after poll has shown, but want to strengthen and expand the program and make it more equitable,” said Maine People’s Alliance Executive Director Jesse Graham. “The average woman spends 12 years out of the workforce caring for children or elderly parents and it’s time to recognize their work and protect their retirement.”

The poll results show that caregiver credits are popular in both Northern and Southern Maine and with Mainers of all ages, genders and political beliefs. 63.1% of Republicans and 65.4% of self-described Tea Party supporters supported the proposal. The Highest levels of support were measured among women, Democrats, and those over the age of 65.

“There are lots of ways to make this happen. Under the plan we support, a caregiver would be given credit for half of the average wage for years working in a caregiving role and would be able to access a minimum of five years of credits” said Graham. “By simply raising the cap on income subject to Social Security assessment, making sure millionaires pay the same percentage of their income as the rest of us, we could both secure the financial future of Social Security in perpetuity and implement programs like this one to make the system fairer and more robust.”

This class is open to all women, ages 13 and older, in the Greater Portland area who would like to develop real life defensive tools and tactics. The Basic Self-Defense Course consists of a series of four classes and one scenario day. The class is scheduled for May 8, 10, 15, and 17, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and May 19 from 8:00 AM to noon. All classes must be attended to complete the course. The classes will be held at the Portland Police Department, 109 Middle Street, Portland, Maine.

A donation of $25.00 for the course is suggested. All donations support the Amy St. Laurent Fund, which sponsors the R.A.D. trainings. Due to attendance issues, all donations must be paid prior to the first class (send checks to ASLF/PPD RAD Program, Portland Police Department, 109 Middle Street, Portland ME 04101). To sign up for the class or receive more information about Portland R.A.D., e-mail ppdrad@portlandmaine.gov or call 874-8643.