The bill aims to recruit and retain Maine’s child care workforce   The Maine Legislature’s Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business (IDEA) approved a bill to recruit and retain Maine’s child care workforce from Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford by a vote of 10-1 on May 18, 2021, with two members absent.  “Maine’s child care workforce is at a tipping point. The pandemic only made it more clear that we can’t continue ignoring the workforce challenges child care educators and providers are facing. I want to see Maine families have access to affordable, high quality child care in every corner of the state so they can return to work knowing their kids are safe. I see this as a critical piece of […]

The Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee gave strong bipartisan approval on May 13, 2021, to a measure from Rep. Chris Kessler, D-South Portland, that would accelerate Maine’s efforts to weatherize homes and businesses and increase the number of low-income households that would qualify for weatherization assistance. The vote was 11-1 with one member absent.  The Legislature has yet to establish a lasting funding source for weatherization since the founding of Efficiency Maine Trust in 2009. As a result, funds have been pieced together from other sources like participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the ISO-NE Forward Capacity Market. Some of those funds have been recently diverted for other initiatives like the widespread adoption of air source heat pumps. As amended, LD 551 would match $25 million recently […]

May 15, 2021 Following a review by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Governor Janet Mills announced that the State of Maine will adopt the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (U.S. CDC) new guidance which allows fully vaccinated Americans not to wear face coverings indoors, effective May 24, 2021. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. “Vaccines are available throughout the state for people age 12 and older. If you have not been vaccinated, please take the time now to get shots for yourself and your loved ones age 12 and older.” Maine will also […]

May 16, 2021 By Ramona du Houx Trickle down economics has been proven not to help grow the economy. The tax breaks from state and federal government for the wealthy 1percent, have not helped the middle class or disadvantaged better their circumstances. They have served to increase the wealth of the most fortunate, while others continue to suffer. The majority of Americans live payday to payday and cannot afford to come up with $400 if an emergency happened. In Maine, former Gov. LePage codified tax cuts for the 1percent, at the determent of all other Maine people. Rep. Ben Collings, D-Portland, introduced a measure to roll back the LePage administration tax breaks on Maine’s wealthiest estates on May 13, 2021, in […]

Maine has reached a vaccination milestone, delivering at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 percent of Maine people age 18 and older, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) tracker.  “Maine continues to make nation-leading strides in getting shots into arms,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Maine people, our medical professionals and volunteers across the state, the Maine National Guard, and our teams at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine CDC all deserve credit for this achievement. There is more work to be done, and we will continue our efforts to make the vaccine more accessible for more people, as we also encourage folks to do their part and roll up their sleeve to help us get back to normal faster.”  Six states […]

By Ramona du Houx May 16, 2021 Rep. Paige Zeigler, D-Montville, introduced a bill on May 12, 2021 to create the Maine Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, also known as a “green bank,” before the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. “Many families and businesses in Maine would like to invest in weatherization projects or transition to renewable energy sources, but they simply can’t afford to do so,” said Rep. Zeigler. “The bill I am proposing to create the Maine Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator would give more Mainers the financial ability reduce their emissions while saving thousands of dollars in energy costs in the long run.” The legislation, LD 1659, would support the development of clean energy and sustainability projects […]

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” […]