Advocates for Mainers with disabilities say the state’s online voting system is helping to increase turnout among this group of voters, some of whom might not have reliable transportation to the polls. The state launched the Accessible Absentee Ballot during the pandemic in 2020. It allows people with disabilities to vote at home, the same as Mainers…
Mainers oppose the Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn federal abortion rights and prefer incumbent Gov. Janet Mills over Republican challenger Paul LePage, according to a poll released Friday by the Maine People’s Resource Center (MPRC). On the question of abortion, 60% of respondents said they disagreed with the court striking down Roe v. Wade,…
Dozens of Republican lawmakers and candidates for the Maine Legislature are refusing to answer questions from a statewide newspaper about their policy positions, specifically objecting to queries about their stance on abortion and voting — two increasingly key issues in national politics. In total, 36 Republicans — including 12 sitting lawmakers — stated Monday that…
Around 50 people rallied Wednesday night outside a campaign event in Lewiston held by former Gov. Paul LePage and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, protesting both Republican politicians’ opposition to abortion rights. The event with Youngkin, which was closed to the press, comes as LePage is trying to reclaim his old job in a race against…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage declared his support for restrictions on abortion and opposition to raising the minimum wage and furthering the transition to renewable energy, among other controversial stances, in his responses to a recent questionnaire from the Christian Education League of Maine. The questionnaire by the group, which is affiliated with the Christian…
“I’m struggling a bit this morning,” a client of mine stated at the start of our session the morning of June 24, 2022. “I just heard on the news about the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. There was so much for me to process I had to turn it off.” While this client did…
Abortion protections. LGBTQ rights. Equity and inclusion. Affordable housing and childcare. Climate change. Those were among the issues highlighted by youth leaders and activists during a forum Tuesday at which young Mainers asked questions of elected leaders and those seeking state office. The panel was organized by the group Maine Youth Power and co-hosted Maine…
Abortion rights in Maine are on the ballot in November, warned Nicole Clegg of Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, which endorsed Democratic incumbent Janet Mills for governor at a rally Wednesday morning. “There is simply too much at stake for the people of Maine,” Clegg said to a crowd in Portland’s Lincoln Park, pledging that…
Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Maine abortion providers say that while the procedure remains legal in the state, they are now operating within a much different political landscape than prior to the ruling. The decision, which was previewed by a leak in May, sent shockwaves through the reproductive health…
Roe is gone. Now what? It is understandable to feel a lot of emotions. Rage. Grief. Frustration. Feeling our emotions is important. It is also important that we do not let ourselves be so overtaken by despair that we think there is nothing to be done. In the words of Mariame Kaba, “hope is a…