May 15, 2021 The Legislature’s bipartisan Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously on May 12th to advance a package of bills sponsored by Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, that aim to protect the public from adverse health effects caused by toxic PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.” “This strong bipartisan support is such an important step toward protecting the health and well-being of Maine people from the harmful effects of PFAS exposure,” said Rep. Gramlich. “We know these toxic chemicals have serious, lasting health and environmental impacts. It is imperative that we act, both by eliminating sources of exposure and contamination and by cleaning up the chemicals that have already accumulated in our drinking water and soil.” LD 1503 would phase out […]

Add title May 16, 2021 As WWII was coming to an end, Nazi’s created “death marches.” In a first time ever exhibit, accounts from survivors of Nazi death marches, will be on display with testimonies translated into English. The Wiener Holocaust Library collected testimonies from some survivors in the 1950s and 1960s, and now is bringing to light the horror of these “mobile concentration camps.”  Death Marches: Evidence and Memory will also be available for free online. 45 testimonies out of 400 now translated are digitised and available in English for the first time on the library’s Testifying to the Truth database. The remaining 1,185 translated testimonies will be released later in 2021.

May 10, 2021 Governor Janet Mills, Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew, and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Nirav D. Shah all agreed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ‘s (FDA) authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old is a good measure. “The Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective at preventing serious illness and death caused by COVID-19. Now with the authorization of the U.S. FDA, Maine providers may begin administering the Pfizer vaccine to children 12 and older,” said Governor Mills. “I encourage parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible to protect their health, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 […]

May 09, 2021 On May 5, 2021, Sen. Chloe Maxmin, D-Nobleboro, introduced a bill to improve Maine’s laws regarding spending by political action committees. LD 1621, “An Act To Reform Payments to Legislators by Political Action Committees,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. “This bill joins other pieces of legislation this session to ensure that money, campaigns and politics have the cleanest relationship possible. I know that we all hear from our constituents about the need to get big money out of politics. We deserve free and fair elections. We also deserve to know that our elected legislators are not unfairly profiting or benefiting from doing the people’s work,” said Sen. […]

May 6, 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer card (EBT) equipment is available to agricultural producers and farmers’ markets in Maine. SNAP is what used to be known as food stamps. Interested producers and farmers markets should visit the Farm Food Access Program (FFAP) website or call the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) to learn about the options for cost-free equipment. By accepting SNAP/EBT, producers and farmers markets help feed approximately one in eight Mainers participating in the SNAP Program. The FFAP, developed by the Maine Bureau of Agriculture, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and MFFM, launched in 2020 to provide more opportunities for individuals and families to purchase local foods with their federal […]

 In the second talk from a new series on the immigrant experience, the Camden Public Library welcomes Georges Budagu Makoko for an online presentation on Thursday, May 20, at 6:00 pm. Makoko will talk about his journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the U.S., his experience seeking asylum in Maine, and his transition to citizenship. He will share thoughts about the kinds of help that immigrants need, and read excerpts from his memoir Ladder to the Moon: Journey from the Congo to America. Makoko’s appearance is co-hosted by Connecting Across Cultures.  Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a link to attend. Georges Budagu Makoko is the founder of Ladder to the Moon Network and co-founder of Maine’s most inclusive publication, Amjambo Africa. Makoko was born in the Democratic Republic […]

By Ramona du Houx May 9, 2021 A broad coalition of organizations are applauding Governor Janet Mills for including funding for the popular and effective Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program in her proposed bond package announced on May 7,2021 .The package included $40 million over four years to conserve lands and waters for Maine people through the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) Program. Historically, there has never been a better time to invest in bonds with interest rates the lowest they have ever been. LMF has conserved nearly 604,000 acres of land, more than half of which – 333,425 acres – has been working lands. This includes 41 farms and 9,755 acres of farmlands and 26 commercial working waterfront properties, […]

Letter to the editor by Theresa York, of Farmington CMP is running an ad on TV right now that claims that their unpopular corridor will cause “No destruction of public lands. But don’t take our word for it. Get the facts.” Well, the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, who is charged with overseeing our public lands, recently sent a letter to the Bureau of Parks and Lands that states, “The clearing and placement of large transmission towers and lines on an approximately one-mile-long strip of land across constitutionally protected public reserve lands is a substantially different use of these lands and would substantially alter the use of those lands.” The letter goes on to say that the Bureau “undermined” […]

May 08, 2021 Maine State Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, on May 7, 2021 introduced a bill that would create a commission to study the best way to implement a paid family leave policy in Maine.  President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, has a large portion of funds that would be allocated to helping families take care of their members at home as part of his infrastructure. He has another plan that he announced during his joint address to Congress that addresses family paid leave. Daughtry’s bill, LD 1559, “Resolve, To Create the Commission To Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Committee on Labor and Housing.  “Before the […]

Youth activists, physicians, school administrators and public health experts urge passage of bill to prevent the tobacco industry from using menthol candy flavors to target and hook kids, communities of color, and LGBTQ young adults May 7, 2021 By Ramona du Houx At a public hearing at Maine’s state capitol in Augusta, in the Health and Human Services Committee, policymakers heard testimony on LD 1550, An Act To End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products. Dozens of youth activists, physicians, school administrators, and public health advocates shared information and stories about how the tobacco industry is targeting youth, young adults, Black and brown, indigenous, LGBTQ, low income, and other marginalized communities with menthol, mint, and candy flavored products. “Tobacco use among Maine youth […]

AUGUSTA – Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, introduced a bill to strengthen law enforcement education and training standards before the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on May 7, 2021. “Our law enforcement officers are responding to and encountering difficult and varied situations every day. This bill is about making sure they are prepared and have the best tools in their toolboxes so they can be safe and effective,” said Gramlich. “The world is vastly different from the days when my grandfather and uncle served the community as police officers. Our education and training standards need to keep up with the times for the sake of our women and men in uniform as well as the communities they serve.” […]