Thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list!
Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information on the Trump-ordered extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Pacific and Mike Johnson STILL keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
Also, actions from Hancock Country Democrats, Action 172 ICE-out – No dICE, Action 173- Phone Bank for No on 1, and Action 174 – Oppose 1975. Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (10/27) that discusses protecting our public lands, contacting members of congress, and more.
A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!
Weekly Vigils
Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! First is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor, followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.
***NOTE-No Visibility Brigade Today!!***
The Friday Bangor Visibility Brigade will meet on SUNDAY, 11-2-25, at 11:30 at the Essex Street overpass for one hour. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
Early Voting Has Ended
From the Absentee Guide page on the Maine Secretary of State’s website:
The deadline to vote in the presence of the clerk is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the election. (That was yesterday.)
In the case of very specific special circumstances, Monday may be an option. Please check with your town office.
Volunteer on election day
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
ICE Out of Home Depot Vigil
TOMORROW, SATURDAY, 11/1
On November 1, we will hold a rally outside of Home Depot in honor of all the workers who have been kidnapped by ICE on Home Depot properties. Join us in a day of action and make your voice heard. Tell Home Depot: ICE Out!
We will be picketing with signs and chants!
We have a memorable link for the Mobilize sign up that you can tell our friends: homedepot.indivisiblebangor.org. Tell everyone!
Time: Saturday, November 1, 12 – 2pm
Location: The Home Depot in Bangor, 650 Stillwater Ave, Bangor, ME 04401
The Maine ICE Watch Hotline Is LIVE!
The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.
The Hotline project has already trained over 100 community volunteers, both as operators to receive calls and verifiers to confirm or refute reported sightings of immigration enforcement activity.
A project of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the People’s Coalition for Safety & Justice. Volunteers trained across Maine to respond, verify, and connect families to help.
REAL INFORMATION. RAPID RESPONSE.
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition ICE Watch Resource Hub.
Read more about it here in this Newscenter Maine article.
Verifying ICE and Border Patrol activity in real time.
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on No Kings Day on 10/18 in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry- food, personal items, and even cash. Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.
Also, ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.”
Food and Medicine will be holding its annual Solidarity Harvest next month. Please consider volunteering to help them assemble and distribute locally-sourced meal baskets, each with nearly 30 pounds of produce, which is enough food for 8-10 people. The dates for this year are November 13-24. More information, donation, and sign up is here!
Governor Mills Announces $1.25 Million for Maine Food Pantries
Governor Janet Mills announced today she is taking action to deliver $1.25 million to Good Shepherd Food Bank and other anti-hunger programs in Maine as the Federal shutdown is poised to cease food benefits for 170,000 Maine families, older adults, children, veterans, and people with disabilities on Saturday, November 1, in partnership with Maine philanthropy.
Read more here in the official announcement.
And here’s a tip for Halloween:
NO ON ONE!
Keep the NO KINGS momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby (and recently endorsed by Paul LePage in the Bangor Daily News) scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Talk to your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! CANVASS! CANVASS! See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Food AND Medicine has released a list of good, not-so-good, and mixed candidates running for the Bangor city council and school board-you can read that here.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, and Orono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators, as well as one representative in the House, depending on where you live in the state. Contacting them MAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum forward by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine
Community Forum series
THIS SATURDAY
| Call to a Gathering of the Community The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, along with co-sponsors, continues its Community Forum series. So much of politics is local and we need to come together in community tocelebrate our strengths, build relationships, and to co-create a vision different from the fear and isolation common in today’s world. Click the button/tap the link below for more info! |
When: Saturday November 1st 3pm-4:30pm
Where: Minsky Lecture Hall (3rd Floor)
Bangor Public Library
145 Harlow St.
Bangor, ME 04401
Who: Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine
Co sponsors: Indivisible Bangor, Pax Christi Maine
Spotify is capitulating to the regime, but we can make them reverse course.
From Ezra and Leah-
Earlier this month, Spotify began running ads to recruit for ICE, making them an active enabler of the hiring spree to build an American secret police force. That’s bad, and if we want there to be consequences for capitulation, we have to be the consequence!
If you’ve joined a weekly “What’s the Plan?” call, you’ve probably heard me and Leah reflect on the lessons from the successful Disney/ABC/Kimmel campaign. The regime bullied, the institution capitulated, the people rebelled, the institution reversed course, and democracy sat up a little straighter the next day.
What worked to influence Disney can work with Spotify! Like Disney, Spotify is a multi-billion dollar corporation that relies on subscriptions. That means we, the paying customers, have real influence.
So on Thursday, Leah and I sent a formal letter to Spotify, pointing out their problematic ads and requesting a meeting. If they do not respond by tomorrow, we’re going to launch a campaign to push them from capitulation to active resistance. Stay tuned for more soon, and come to “What’s the Plan?” on Thursday to discuss next steps.
Bangor Public Library
Technology Workshop: Avoiding AI
Generative AI is being pushed hard by major technology companies everywhere, and invading your devices. On Wednesday, November 5 from 2-4 PM, the library will host a workshop on “Avoiding AI,” covering the basics of how this technology works, why it is unreliable as a source of information, privacy concerns associated with AI, and how to disable it on your devices as much as possible. If you are curious about large language models and artificial intelligence, or mad that everything from ChatGPT to Microsoft’s Co-Pilot to Google’s AI summaries and more seems to show up without you asking for it or being able to get rid of it, join us to learn more and take control of your devices and your privacy.
Date:Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time:2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location:Norman Minsky Lecture Hall
New Actions Are Coming!
Stay tuned for a Veteran’s Day action in Bangor. Details coming soon!!!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day on 10/18 to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
Several news outlets were there, such as WABI, WLBZ, The Bangor Daily News, WVII, and WERU. People gave generously to our food bank drive!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
There are other opportunities to canvass in Maine, too! Click here for a list!
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
Write a Letter to the Editor!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Use this form to send one to the Bangor Daily News. “The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 4 election on Oct. 29. Not all submissions can be published.” That’s next Wednesday, so get to it!
Jordan Wood Is Returning to Bangor!
Democratic Senate Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Bangor Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Susan Collins, and hear about what his plans as your next Senator: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enact universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
Thursday, November 13, 6:00pm-7:30 pm. at the Bangor Public Library.
Bangor City Council and the 287g Agreement
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
Wednesday night, October 15, the Bangor City Council voted on a resolution. View proceedings here.
Bangor Daily News articles:
Bangor residents frustrated as ‘watered down’ resolve on ICE fails in City Council vote
Bangor City Council to reconsider public comment policy after hateful attacks
Stop the Military Occupation of American Cities!
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
OBAMACARE Price Hike Info Now Available
Information on premium increases for ACA healthcare plans for a dozen states has been made available, according to a New York Times article “Higher Obamacare Prices Become Public in a Dozen State – Consumers are facing greater costs for their 2026 A.C.A. health coverage as Congress continues to debate whether to extend subsidies that help people afford their premiums.”
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
STOP THE TRUMP SHUTDOWN
What you can do
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
In the News
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Big Investors Await Windfall From Trump’s Argentina Bailout -The United States finalized a $20 billion lifeline for Argentina that will benefit Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s allies. – NYTimes – 10/9/25 Gift Article
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Join Indivisible Bangor!
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
Make Some Calls!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
Write Some Emails!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We are on Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook!
Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Friday October 31st: Save Absentee Voting in Maine – Canvass, Phonebank, Remind Friends and Family to Vote on Tuesday
Good Morning Folks, it’s a rainy Halloween Friday – we need the rain, and also the fun for young folk!
Top Action to Take Today:
The most important thing you can do in the next 4 days is to get support for Saving Absentee Voting – by voting No on One and signing up to canvass on behalf of No on 1here. Many people support No on 1, but they need encouragement to vote on Tuesday which is a hassle if you have a 9-5 job, or two jobs, or kids, or are a teacher and have parent teacher conferences!
Canvassing will take 3 hours out of your Saturday or Sunday this weekend and regardless of the outcome will confirm that you did what you could. Bring your kid(s) with you to make it a family event, or bring a friend so you have company and help when you are talking to folks who need convincing.
If you haven’t yet,Vote, (absentee, or at your town office) if you haven’t. Early in person voting is over. Talk to one friend who may not be thinking about this, and encourage them to vote. We can’t lose this one! For more information on absentee voting check out the absentee voting guide.
If physical canvassing is not possible join a phone bank to get out the vote on referendum question one. We just have a week left to encourage folks to vote. Go here to sign up for the phone bank. If you have never phone banked before I would encourage you to read Abbie’s piece below.
One piece of good news: In the recent mock elections in Maine, students overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to require voter ID, with 65% voting against it, while nearly 80% supported the implementation of a “red flag” law for gun safety. This mock election involved over 4,000 students from 29 schools across the state. (Mock elections sponsored by the Secretary of State’s Office (thank you Shenna), have accurately predicted every Presidential Election outcome since 2008! (I know this is different, but still can bring a grin to our faces!)
More Actions if You Have the Bandwidth
To follow up on the SNAP issue, Mills has released 1.25 million for SNAP food benefits, which is about enough to fund a day and a half of the need in Maine. This is not sufficient. Ask Governor Mills to declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY in relation to the Republican refusal to fund SNAP, or call the Legislature into special session. Either option would result in more funding being released to keep kids and their families from going hungry this November. Call her at 207-287-3531, or go to her website and make a comment. (SNAP = Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serving almost 170,000 families in Maine)
California, Virginia, Louisiana, and Minnesota have all declared states of emergency to keep this program going. Mills may agree that this is a good way to alleviate immediate suffering in Maine.
Many of us are going to have a very tough fall with SNAP food benefits being frozen. Consider donating to a local food bank today. ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” Find a food bank near you here. For a great model of a food calendar on a local level check out Bangor’s Faith Linking in Action Food Pantry Calendar.
(Thank you to Bangor Indivisible for these links!)
Call King and Collins to support extension of the ACA tax credits by voting with the Democrats. (If you have done this already this week, call one friend and ask them to do the same. If everyone on this email did so, it would generate close to 200 calls today!) A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
Arts and Politics!
Fall of Freedom“is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.
This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment.” (from their website) They have a toolkit to help with creating graphics, posters, events to join the Art Resistance. (Thank you Connie for this.)
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Save Maine Absentee Voting, sign up to canvass: Only 5 days left before the referendum. Sign up to canvass here. Ask a friend to go with you. Bring your kid(s) if they are old enough to handle the walking and talking. Vote if you haven’t yet, today is the last day to vote in person before the election.
Sign up for a phonebank to get out the NO vote on Question One: Go here to sign up. Read the attached message below about phone banking if you haven’t done this before.
Call or email Governor Mills to ask her to declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY: This would allow her to release SNAP funds for November while Trump and his Republican allies support making tens of millions of children and their families hungry just in time for Thanksgiving.
Donate to a local Food Pantry today: To offset the impending cutoff of SNAP funds by the USDA check out where your local food pantry is here.
Ask our Congresspeople to demand the USDA release it’s billions in “emergency funds”: The USDA has several billion dollars set aside for situations of this nature. They must release it now so people can eat in November.
Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script.
Groundhog Day Alert, if you haven’t yet – Call King and Collins and ask them to vote with the Democrats on the Government Shutdown. This is the only sure way to make sure our Health Insurance rates don’t skyrocket!
If you’ve already called King and Collins to vote with the Democrats on the shutdown: Call one friend and ask them to do the same. Give them the information below on numbers. You could also email 5 friends with the same request.
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” ― James Baldwin
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Senator Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Senator Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Congressman Jared Golden
DC: (202) 225-6306
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Find your State Representative:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Our government in Augusta:
Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800
Questions or comments? Contact Dave!
