Welcome back for another week with exciting updates! Let’s dive right into it today:
MSNA: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
If you haven’t heard yet, the MSNA nurses strike has been called off! They have reached a tentative agreement with Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in their union contract.
“EMMC came at us particularly hard this time around,” said Erin Oberson, a labor and delivery RN and member of the bargaining team. “Until the very last minute, they insisted on huge takeaways from us. They also wanted to decrease paid time off (PTO) and eliminate the pension for new nurses. Not only did we beat back every one of their concessionary demands, but we won new safety protections for all nurses and patients, and made real economic improvements as well.”
This is an incredible victory for MSNA, and really for us all. This will help to ensure our nurses can continue to be the rock stars they are and protect their benefits and continue providing the best care possible. Let’s take a moment to celebrate this as an important step in the fight to improve healthcare, and to highlight how important it is that we work together.
If you have the opportunity to organize or join a union, or organize your community, there has never been a more important time to do so. The Trump regime, and quite honestly some in the Democratic party, have made it clear that we are going to have to work together to save ourselves and the country – and that is the ONLY way we win!
I have found that a number of people are interested in learning more about how they can start organizing and what other organizations are available to work with in the area. As part of the upcoming newsletter (and website!) improvements, we will be highlighting some of this information, but in the meantime, if you don’t want to waste any more time, I am giving you the opportunity to reach out directly to receive additional information about organizing here in our community. Fill out the form below and provide some information on the type of causes that are important to you and I will do my best to help connect you!
That said, we have TWO important upcoming events that you should already be aware of if you have been following these posts! We have the next (and hopefully largest) No Kings Protest coming up THIS SATURDAY! Click the picture below to get more details on time and location. Also, one week from today, NEXT MONDAY, will be the Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall. Details for that event are below – make sure to register and have your voice be heard!
REQUEST:
We could use more Peacekeepers on Saturday for No Kings protest. If you are able to volunteer to help as a Peacekeeper, please send an email to chrispru20@gmail.com to volunteer.
There are some new events listed, so make sure to check them out!
NOTICE:
Beginning this week, any cars parked in The Penquis parking lot near the federal building without their permit stickers will be ticketed and towed!
Food AND Medicine is having their 2026 membership campaign from March 3rd to April 3rd. If you are interested in helping, please submit a response here. If you would like to join FAM, you can do so on their website!
…And don’t forget! Check out details for the Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall and register to come and have YOUR voice be heard! We hope to see you there!
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Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? Help organize events like rallies and visibility actions? 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. As always, check out our Bluesky and Instagram for the latest info.
NEWS
ICE agents deployed at US airports amid partial shutdown.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed at some U.S. airports, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced, as travelers across the United States face significant disruptions and TSA agent absences soared as workers work without pay amid the partial government shutdown.
Read the entire article here.
Maine Senate Passes Landmark Privacy Bill
The Maine State Senate today passed LD 1822, a bill to support Fourth Amendment rights and protect personal data by limiting sweeping digital surveillance. The legislation passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 10, 2026, and now faces enactment votes in both chambers.
Read the entire article here.
Trump puts off threat to bomb Iran power grid; three countries reportedly mediating
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had given orders to postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days, hours ahead of a deadline that threatened further escalation in the conflict now in its fourth week.
Trump added in a post on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. and Iran had had “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE” conversations over the past two days about a “COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST”.
Read’s full article 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.
LEGISLATION
This is a list of important bills to keep an eye on. Click on the bill number to get more details. Please take some time and contact your legislators with your opinions!
- Check complete bill listing here: https://legislature.maine.gov/Calendar/#PHWS. Set the date range in the upper left corner. This listing also shows work sessions if you want to weigh in on any of those.
- Find the text of any bill here: https://legislature.maine.gov Or click through on the calendar, on the bill number, which is a link. Then read the pdf or the word version (link in upper left area). Form your own opinions!
- Instructions for testifying are here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
If you know of other important legislation, please let us know and we’ll add it to the list!
Maine
Economy
LD 229: An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates
LD 1879: An Act to Support Maine’s Agricultural Economy by Increasing Revenue from the Corporate Income Tax
Education
LD 1089: An Act to Permanently Fund 55 Percent of the State’s Share of Education by Establishing a Tax on Incomes of More than $1,000,000
LD 1414: An Act to Support and Sustain Maine’s Child Care Workforce
LD 1955: An Act to Increase Child Care Affordability and Early Childhood Educator Stability
LD 2066: An Act to Establish the Child Care Employment Award
LD 2175: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, State Board of Education
LD 2192: An Act to Protect Students by Ensuring Schools Have Complete Information About School Employees and Applicants for Employment
Environment
LD 276: An Act Regarding Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
LD 474: An Act to Improve Maine’s Environment and Protect Natural Resources
LD 1870: An Act to Establish a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to Impose Penalties on Climate Polluters
LD 2174: An Act to Replace the Maine Waterway Development and Conservation Act with the Maine Renewable Energy and Associated Transmission Development and Conservation Act
Healthcare
LD 2206: An Act Expanding Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New Path for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry
LD 2208: An Act to Offset Federal Cuts to Health Insurance for Certain Maine Families and Seniors
LD 2209: Resolve, to Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to Develop Innovative Models for the Delivery of Dental Services to Expand Access to Oral Health Care Throughout the State
Civil & Human Rights
LD 335: An Act to Safeguard Reproductive Rights
LD 1383: An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations
LD 1666: An Act to Include in the Ranked-choice Election Method for General and Special Elections the Offices of Governor, State Senator and State Representative and to Make Other Related Changes
LD 1822: An Act to Enact the Maine Online Data Privacy Act
LD 2176: An Act to Safeguard Reproductive Rights
Immigration
LD 2106: An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review
Tribal Sovereignty
LD 395: An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations
LD 785: An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act
Federal
H.R.22: SAVE Act
H.R.7300: Make Elections Great Again Act
H.R.7296: SAVE America Act
ACTIONS
Event: Attend an event!
Events are easy to attend and only require a small amount of time investment – some you can even attend from the comfort of your own couch! Take a look at the upcoming events below and register.
Petition: Sign “Iran War Concerns” Petition
As United States citizens from various political perspectives, we have serious concerns about the current war in Iran and the justification that was used for initiating it.
Petition: Sign “A Winning Democratic Strategy” Petition
This petition lists a number of items that Democrats should pledge to do.
Contact: Oppose the SAVE Act, MEGA Act, and Save America Act
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 affect 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 workers. 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.
Letter: Tax the wealthy to fund programs for Mainers!
The state legislature is starting its budget process – where the rubber hits the road in terms of what our state really values. Here’s what your legislators need to hear from you:
- DON’T conform to the Trump administration’s corporate tax giveaways, as the right is pressuring them to do
- Support bills in the legislature, like LD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. These could pass as bills, or end up in the budget – either way, legislators should fight for them!
This action is sponsored by our friends over at Maine People’s Alliance.
Letter: Support childcare funding
Next week, our legislators will be considering a number of bills that will make Maine’s childcare system stronger.
This includes LD 1955, which will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program. This will provide immediate relief to children and families who are currently on waitlists, while also ensuring future families can access affordable childcare without delays as they work, pursue education, or engage in job training.
LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff. And lastly, LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families—making it easier for providers to offer affordable care for the youngest kids.
This action is sponsored by our friends over at Maine People’s Alliance.
Letter: Tell Congress: Stop President Trump’s illegal boat strikes
The Trump administration is murdering civilians in international waters. We need answers so we can stop the killing.
Since September, the Trump administration has ordered dozens of lethal strikes on civilian boats near Venezuela, killing over 150 people in clear violation of domestic and international law. For weeks, the Trump administration has promoted unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims about the people being targeted, even though investigations show that the strikes killed fishermen who were simply trying to make a living for their families. The administration is reportedly relying on a secret legal memo that wrongly claims these killings are lawful and that anyone involved in the strikes would somehow be immune from prosecution for murder or other crimes, yet they refuse to make the memo public.
Letter: Reject the Deportation & Detention Agenda
The Big Ugly Bill funneled enough money for ICE and Border Patrol to fund their terror for years to come. We have already seen how dangerous this is in communities across the country. Now the administration is trying to use this money to do a massive expansion in detention facilities across the country. They have been buying up properties, and sometimes actually converting warehouses into camps that will hold human beings, often in dangerous and horrifying conditions.
We have a chance to stop this expansion in its tracks, in partnership with experts across the country, by speaking up and demanding our elected officials speak up too. This is already working – and even some Republicans are criticizing the warehouses – from Pennsylvania, to Tennessee, and beyond. So let’s keep up the pressure.
Letter: 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: Call or email 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.
Boycott: Pressure companies to stop working with ICE
Vote with your wallet and boycott companies and services that work with ICE! Check out the full list here.
Donate: Give 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
Indivisible Bangor Meeting
5:00 pm Every Wednesday @ Zoom
Vigils in the Bangor Area
Tuesdays
11:00 am @ the Federal Building
Wednesdays
12:00-1:00 pm @ Orono town center – Details
Bangor Visibility Brigade
Fridays
3:30 pm @ Essex Street Overpass
Tuesdays & Bi-Weekly on Saturdays
2:30 pm @ Hammond Street Overpass
Virtual Events
Thursdays
7:30 pm – League of Women Voters Youth Advocacy Team – Details
Monthly Events
Check back for new monthly events!
Trainings
ICE Watch Verifier Training
First Tuesday of the month
By signing up as an ICE Watch verifier, you’ll help verify reports of ICE operations in Maine and help create a safer environment for our neighbors.
Maine People’s Alliance: Local Legislation Training
March 26 – Thursday – 6:30 pm
Sometimes, a small group of concerned citizens just has to speak up and change how their local community operates. Let’s talk about how!
Centering Trans Leadership and Accountable Allyship
March 30, 2026 – Monday – 7:30 pm
Deepen your understanding of systemic oppression and violence facing trans people while honoring the leadership, resilience, and contributions of trans and gender-diverse communities. Explore how to practice accountable allyship and inclusive leadership that centers trans voices in movement spaces.
We are proud to partner with Advocates for Trans Equality and Parents of Trans Youth, LLC, two organizations at the forefront of advocacy for trans people.
Maine Democrats: Run Local Training
April 2, 2026 – Thursday – 6:00 pm
Are you a Democrat running for local office here in Maine? Or even thinking about running for local office? Check out this free, live, online training on how to run a winning local campaign! This training covers important topics like: direct voter contact, signs, mail, and letters to letters-to-the-editor. Any Maine Democrat can sign up! Note, these trainings are intended for Maine candidates and volunteers only and not for folks in other states.
Future Events
Food AND Medicine Membership Campaign
March 3, 2026 – April 3, 2026
Food AND Medicine is having their 2026 membership campaign from March 3rd to April 3rd. If you are interested in helping, please submit a response here. If you would like to join FAM, you can do so on their website!
Maine Indivisible Network: March 2026 Statewide Organizing Call
March 24, 2026 – Tuesday – 5:00 pm
Join Maine Indivisible leaders, group members, grassroots activists, and community partners for our next statewide call. Our May call will feature updates about National Indivisible programs, resources to support your local organizing priorities, and strategies for facilitating collaboration between Maine Indivisible groups and community allies.
Maine People’s Alliance: Tax Fairness Lobby Day at the State House
March 26, 2026 – Thursday – 8:00 am – 12:30 pm
With key budget decisions happening now, it’s critical that lawmakers hear from us about funding what Maine communities need, including childcare, housing, and health care. The best way to get there is by making sure the wealthiest Mainers and profitable corporations pay their fair share.
We’ll start with a brief training, then meet with legislators to advocate for fair taxes and strong investments in our communities, followed by a lunch debrief with food provided.
NO KINGS PROTEST
March 28, 2026 – Saturday
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.
Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall
March 30, 2026 – Monday – 6:00 pm
Susan Collins hasn’t held a Town Hall in over 25 years. She is supposed to represent Mainers, yet refuses to face her constituents. That’s why Indivisible Bangor, alongside many other co-sponsors, is holding one for her. Enough is enough – it’s time YOUR voices are heard. We’ve invited Senator Collins to attend twice, but we’ve received no response.
All are welcome to attend to speak or listen. Those that wish to speak will have two minutes to do so.
Doors will open at 5:30pm and the Town Hall will take place from 6pm-8pm. Space is limited so all are encouraged to arrive early.
Collaborative Community Art Project
Deadline for project: April 18, 2026
In celebration of the United States’ Semiquincentennial in 2026, Bangor Public Library is creating a large-scale American flag* mural compiled from 312 individual squares that together form a vibrant version of the American flag, a symbol of unity, shared purpose, hope, and love for our country.
Be part of this project and take home a square. Then paint, sew, collage, and colorize according to the color code on the back. See some examples above! The squares are now available on the second floor in the Reference Lobby.
Note that we need the completed squares back by April 18th.
The squares will then be arranged into the American flag and sewn onto a large piece of canvas. The flag will be displayed in the Cyr Gallery during the library’s 250th celebration, June through July. We will bring it back out for the exhibit of the Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence in September.
Artist Stephanie Krimmel and Mrs. Maynard’s Art Room blog inspired our project, and we look forward to sharing our version with the community this summer.
Socialist and Marxist Studies Series
April 2026 – Thursdays – 12:30 pm
A Zoom link will be provided for those who cannot attend in person
Check out details on the upcoming series in this PDF below!
RESOURCES
Friends of Indivisible Bangor
ICE In Maine
Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov.
“Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.”
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
If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: (207) 544-9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.
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!
