This week we have numerous opportunities for you to be heard at the state and national level! There are multiple bills and a proposed budget that are open to testimony in your support of vital programs here in Maine. Don’t miss the new events that have been added – learn more about how the ACLU is protecting immigrants’ rights and more. Check out the new sections to link up with other organizations in the area to strengthen our community and get involved!
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 visibilty actions or be a peacekeeper? Or do you just want to keep up with what we’re doing? Sign up to volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! Your level of involvement is up to you!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the link below 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, which will resume after the holidays!As always, check out our Blue Sky and Instagram for current info.
- NEWS
- ACTIONS
- EVENTS
- RESOURCES
NEWS
Public Hearings begin on proposed supplemental budget
Maine’s budget has a two-year cycle, and this year’s is the “supplemental”, which dictates how the state will spend money from revenue that goes beyond what it planned for in the “biennial” budget (last year). This is also a point when the state can make cuts to programs it funded in the first year. The supplemental budget determines state funding for the next year, meaning which programs and bills get funded, and which ones get cut. The governor has released her proposed budget, and the legislature now gets to respond with their version.
Public hearings began in Augusta on Tuesday on Governor Janet Mills’ proposed supplemental budget. The governor is pushing for major investments in areas such as healthcare and addressing affordability.
Read the entire article here.
Take action to make sure your voice is heard on these proposals! Details on how to testify are listed below in the ACTIONS section.
Vaccine bill moves out of committee
LD 2071 would give pharmacists authority to administer any vaccine licensed by the FDA and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Read the entire article here.
Learn more about LD 2071 here.
Susan Collins supports “Save America Act”
Despite Mainers voting overwhelmingly to reject the voter suppression measures list in Question 1 last November, Senator Collins has decided that she supports even stricter voter suppression measures.The bill recently passed in the House and will be up for vote in the Senate soon. From Bangor Daily News:
Trump has framed the bill as a national voter ID push, although it is slightly different than that. Democrats have argued it could still bar millions of people from voting, with the liberal Brennan Center for Justice saying 21 million Americans lack ready access to the documents that would be required to prove citizenship. Noncitizens are barred from voting in federal elections.
Read the entire article here.
Celebrating Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, we will be sharing local Black History and Black Community resources throughout the month.
The origins of Black History Month date back nearly a century to historian Carter G. Woodson, who sought to bring national attention to the role African Americans have played in shaping the United States. These efforts gained momentum on college campuses in the mid-20th century, and in 1976 the observance received formal federal recognition, underscoring the importance of honoring contributions that had long been underrepresented in historical narratives.
Maine’s history reflects the presence, resilience, and impact of African American communities. From early participation in maritime industries to landmarks such as the Abyssinian Meeting House, the state’s first Black church, these stories are woven into Maine’s past. Exploring this history provides valuable context for understanding both the state’s development and the diverse experiences that continue to shape it.
From Recognizing Black History Month, University of Maine at Augusta.
ACTIONS
Testify for vital funding for Maine programs
All over Maine, most of us believe that we should take care of each other. It’s helped us get through a lot of hard times, and we know that when everyone gives what they can, we build a stronger state and a better future. That includes making sure that the wealthiest among us pay what they truly owe in taxes – so we can pay for the programs that help us all thrive. That’s where the budget comes in – it’s the most honest way that the people who run our state government reveal their priorities.
Public Hearing Schedule:
Wednesday, Feb 18 at 1:30pm: Health and Human Services – Childcare
Thursday Feb. 19th at 9am: Taxation
Thursday, Feb. 19th at 1:00pm: Housing and Economic Development
Review this document for instructions and more detailed info!
Protect Maine Hospitals from Private Equity
Dear Supporters of Maine AllCare and Universal Health Care:
At 10 AM on Wednesday, February 18 in Room 220 of the Cross Building the Maine legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services Committee will holdpublic hearings on bills related to private equity (PE) acquisition of hospitals(and other health care entities) in our state.
Maine AllCare is particularly interested in four of these bills. We are asking you to provide testimony supporting them – in person, via Zoom or in writing. You can testify for one bill or two or more of them in a single testimony.
Review our talking points about private equity and hospitals to help you to prepare your testimony.
Learn More about the bills in question below:
1. L.D. 2190: Certificate of Need Changes
2. L.D. 2197: Protecting Hospital Campus Ownership
3. L.D. 2198: Debt-to-Equity Standards for Health Care Transactions
4. L.D. 2201: Establishing a Regulatory Review & Approval Process for PE Transactions
HOW TO TESTIFY
- Detailed information on how to submit testimony is available here. Follow the links to register for Zoom testimony or to submit written testimony.
- If you decide to testify in person, you don’t need to sign up ahead of time, but limit your remarks to two minutes and bring 20 copies of testimony for distribution to the committee.
- To testify electronically (via Zoom), register here AT LEAST 30 MINUTES before the posted start time of the meeting. Again, keep your remarks to two minutes or less.
- Written testimony need not be limited to two minutes (if read aloud) but should not be much longer.
Take Action for the Fair Housing 3
Sign the petition and deliver it to Susan Collins
12:00 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Federal workers serve the public, not politicians or billionaires. Even after the longest government shutdown in history and yet another looming in January, they are risking their livelihoods to stand up for a rules-based civil service from attacks by the Trump Administration. Instead of bending the knee, federal workers like the Fair Housing Three are standing their ground. And we’re standing with them.
The Fair Housing Three are civil rights attorneys in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members, and organizers with the Federal Unionists Network (FUN). When they saw the Trump administration dismantling civil rights, violating federal law, and putting vulnerable communities at risk of major housing discrimination they spoke up, which they have a right to do. Shortly after, they were fired, placed on administrative leave, or reassigned.
The retaliation against the Fair Housing Three is a direct attack on essential protections from housing discrimination for domestic violence survivors, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color, and low-income people. HUD Secretary Scott Turner–under the guidance of billionaire champions like Donald Trump and Russell Vought– wants to give free rein to landlords, real estate agents, corrupt lenders, and corporate investors to pick and choose who deserves safe housing. Justice for the Fair Housing Three means our friends, neighbors, and families are safer.
Together, we can ensure this administration is held accountable and that workers like the Fair Housing Three can fulfill their duties to protect us! Join us to hand deliver the petition to Susan Collins on February 18TH at 12 PM at the Federal Building
- Susan Collins must do her job to hold HUD Secretary Scott Turner accountable to the public.
- Allow the Fair Housing Three do their jobs! Rehire and reinstate HUD whistleblowers.
- Stop political interference and restore HUD’s ability to fulfill its mission to protect communities from discrimination.
Federal workers are under attack by the Trump administration, but together we will stand up to Susan Collins and demand she stands up for us.
Oppose the SAVE Act, MEGA Act, and Save America Act
This President’s Day, take action on the SAVE Act, the MEGA Act, and the Save America Act. These anti-democratic bills could be fast-tracked through Congress, with the Save America Act passed in the U.S. House last week (SAVE Act passed in the House last year). These laws would require voters to prove their citizenship by showing a passport or birth certificate in order to register to vote — a requirement that would disenfranchise millions of voters. According to the Brennan Center, “21 million American citizens don’t have these documents readily available.”
This bill would especially burden military voters, tribal voters, rural voters, and survivors of natural disasters. Plus, are you someone who’s married and changed your name? Or just someone who’s changed your name? You, too, could be affected. This could also effect Mainers living near the border who might have been born at a Canadian hospital to U.S. parents.
The MEGA Act would prohibit the use of mail-in voting (like absentee voting) and Ranked Choice Voting. The bill promotes voter roll purges and criminalizes clerical errors by election works. It’s a package of terrible ideas built upon false, debunked theories that our elections are not secure. Maine has the right to conduct our elections, which are already fair, transparent, and accessible. Let’s reject this federal intervention.
Write a letter to the editor
Letters to the editor are published regularly in the local newspapers from Mainers who support the brutal tactics of the authoritarian Trump regime. Write a letter to set the record straight. Click the button to go to the Bangor Daily News “Submit a letter or column” page, the Portland Press Herald “Letters to the editor” page, and the “Letter to the Editor” page at the Ellsworth American.
Contact your legislators
If you want an easy way to actually do something, check out 5calls.org. You enter your location, pick an issue you care about, and it gives you your representatives’ phone numbers and a script. That’s it. Calling your elected officials is one of the most effective forms of civic engagement there is!
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.
Donate to a food bank
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.
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.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!
EVENTS
Weekly Events
Vigils in the Bangor Area
Tuesdays
11:00 am @ the Federal Building
Wednesdays
12:00-1:00 pm @ the town center – Details
Bangor Visibility Brigade
Fridays
3:30 pm @ Essex Street Overpass
Virtual Events
Thursdays
7:30 pm – League of Women Voters Youth Advocacy Team – Details
Monthly Events
Monthly Indivisible Bangor Meeting
5:00 pm Every first Wednesday @ Zoom
Future Events
Judiciary Committee Public Hearings
10:00 am & 1:00 pm February 19, 2026
Two tribal sovereignty bills will have public hearings on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the Judiciary Committee. See the Wabanaki Alliance for tips on writing testimony and taking action.
- 10:00 am – LD 395 — Tribal Sovereignty and Federal Laws: This bipartisan bill amends the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act so that the Wabanaki tribes can benefit from most existing and future federal laws.
- 1:00 pm – LD 785 — Implementing Recommendations from the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act: This bipartisan bill protects Wabanaki rights by restoring tribal self-government to all federally-recognized tribes in Maine. It repeals or amends provisions in the Settlement Act that for more than 40 years have treated the Wabanaki Nations as akin to municipalities, rather than as sovereign nations with rights and powers under federal Indian law.
The ACLU of Maine’s Legal Fights for Immigrants’ Rights
6:00 pm February 24, 2026
Join staff attorneys Anahita Sotoohi and Max Brooks to hear about how their legal work to protect immigrants’ rights in Maine. They’ll cover how we work in the courts to ensure the rights of individual immigrants, how accessing public records sheds light on law enforcement and federal immigration operations, and the resources available to immigrants and their communities.
Maine Indivisible Network Statewide Call
5:00 pm February 24, 2026
Join Maine Indivisible leaders, group members, grassroots activists, and community partners for our next statewide call. The Maine Rising team will lead a group discussion about state and local action priorities during the second half of the agenda.
Hancock County Democratic Party Caucus
10:00 am February 28, 2026
Many of us have been disappointed that the Democratic party has not done more to fend off the current Republican assault on our democratic institutions and moral values. But we cannot succumb to cynicism or despair; giving up not an option.
We all need to show up, be vocal, and force the party do what it needs to do. What it was designed to do. When we raise our collective voices, the party leadership will be forced to listen to us. And as history shows, the Democratic Party can be a powerful force for democracy and the rule of law.
Our participation is what creates the power. Together we can make a difference. But to do so we must build solidarity. There are literally thousands of Registered Democrats in Hancock County that we haven’t heard from or met. Your voice may be like a single strand of spider silk, but a rope made of spider silk is stronger than steel (1). Please come to the caucus and use your energy to steer the ship in the right direction! Carpool with other Registered Dems and get there early for the best parking.
NO KINGS PROTEST
days
hours minutes seconds
until
In 2025, millions of Americans came together in nonviolent protest to oppose the growing authoritarian actions of the Trump administration and affirm that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings. Since then, people have continued to rise up nonviolently against the Trump administration’s ongoing brutality and abuses of power, including the latest escalation in Minnesota. The No Kings Coalition is activating an immediate and ongoing nationwide digital organizing effort leading up to our next mass mobilization on March 28, including a flagship event in the Twin Cities.
RESOURCES
Friends of Indivisible Bangor
ICE In Maine
The ICE resources that have been listed in previous newsletters can be found here.
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition has published a resource hub here.
ACLU Maine – Know Your Rights
Legislator Contact Info
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 George!
