On a Thursday morning in mid-October, Abbie Strout-Bentes, executive director of SAFE Maine, sat in a small room in a shared office space in Augusta. The room lingered in a state of unpacking, cardboard boxes stacked in a corner. The walls were relatively bare, save for a few framed images: a floral print of reproductive…
A panel of advocates for reproductive and abortion rights join the podcast this week to discuss new laws going into effect in Maine on October 25th and January 1st and where Maine and the nation stand in the wake of the Dobbs decision. Esther Pew is joined by Nicole Clegg, CEO of Planned Parenthood Maine…
Now that the uncharacteristically long Maine legislative session has wrapped up, it feels like a great time to celebrate the wins we’ve had with bills that help fulfill our state’s motto: “The Way Life Should Be.” You’re probably already familiar with LD 1619, an important bill for abortion access in the state that received a…
Esther talks with Mareisa Weil of Maine Family Planning, Abbie Strout-Bentes of the Mabel Wadsworth Center, and Nicole Clegg of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England/Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund about the lay of the land on abortion rights, the fights ahead, and what people can do to help. Ask a question or leave a…
Amid the attacks on abortion rights by a Republican-led U.S. House and state legislatures across the country in the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Maine’s Democratic leaders on Tuesday introduced a slate of legislation aimed at expanding reproductive rights and freedoms. The announcement comes six days before what would have been the…
So-called crisis pregnancy centers, the faith-based institutions that push misleading information to people seeking an abortion, will be facing scrutiny this legislative session. Reproductive rights advocates characterize these centers, also known as CPCs, as fake clinics promoting an anti-abortion agenda through staff who pose as medical professionals. Rep. Grayson Lookner (D-Portland) told Beacon that he…
At a time when attacks on reproductive and gender liberation are increasingly common in conservative political discourse, the Mabel Wadsworth Center in northern Maine has made it clear that abortions should be accessible to all, including trans and queer people, as the nonprofit continues to make inclusive care a centerpiece of its work. The Bangor-based clinic…
In their latest campaign finance filing the Maine Association of Realtors reports giving the maximum individual donation of $425 each to 16 state lawmakers seeking re-election. All are Republicans and all 16 have been endorsed by the Christian Civic League of Maine, the state’s leading opponent of abortion rights which recently celebrated the overturning of…
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…
With voices from Maine Family Planning, Planned Parenthood and Mabel Wadsworth Center, the podcast hosts focus on the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision repealing the right to access abortion this week, including the impact in Maine, the reactions from elected leaders and candidates, and what comes next. Ask a question or leave a comment…