I know we’re all angry/upset/scared about Trump’s illegal invasion of Venezuela and his kidnapping of their evil dictator Maduro and his wife, so I just wanted to share Indivisible’s toolkit for action items you can do right away. Feel free to use their letter and call script: I think right now numbers are more important than making everything personal. They should be flooded with emails and phone calls. The actual content doesn’t matter beyond making clear that you want them to do everything they can to stop this insanity.
Background: Hancock County legislators lead once again! Senator Nicole Grohoski has a new bill in the legislature that will have one of this year’s first hearings, on January 6. LD 1730 (1) carried over from last year was one of those concept drafts that don’t give you any information. But Nicole submitted the details on Dec. 30 (2) and more information on the concept is available in a Google doc (3) from Representative Gary Friedmann. The bill now has a name: “An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis”. The initial sections of the legislation deal with building code modifications to increase energy efficiency. Then we come to Section 3475. Plug-in photovoltaic and battery systems. These new-ish devices (already widely available up to 800 Watts: you can see them on Amazon for instance) will allow homeowners to harvest the sun’s energy directly, to reduce their electricity bills from the power companies. This bill creates a new category for small plug-in solar electricity generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, and establishes safety requirements. They would not be able to export power to the grid, so net energy billing would not apply. The owners would have to notify, but not get permission from, the utility. The devices would be treated as personal property by homeowner insurance, and if installed by, say, a renter on someone else’s property, they would have to be removed at the end of their use and the structure restored. The hearing will be Tuesday, January 6, 1:00pm. Written (rather than oral) testimony is requested.
Action: Testimony can be sent to the Energy, Utility and Technology Committee. Here is the online portal: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ or just email the committee at EUT@legislature.maine.gov
Now about the small scale nukes… There is a push among some nuclear power enthusiasts to start building “small” nuclear power plants in Maine. These would be of a size appropriate for AI data centers – up to around 300 MW or about 1/3 the capacity of Maine Yankee. This push came to the Maine Legislature last year in the form of three pro-nuke bills. Two of the bills failed in committee, and the third, LD 343, was substantially revised by its sponsor Republican Reagan Paul to an innocuous-sounding title: “An Act to Ensure Periodic Assessment for Clean Energy Technology.” This bill has been carried over – see its history here – https://legislature.maine.gov/billtracker/#Paper/HP0243?legislature=132 – but nothing is scheduled for it so far this year. Until the nuclear power promoters have solved the conundrum of what to do with nuclear waste (5), and until the federal government no longer indemnifies the power plant owners/operators for any accidents (6), nuclear power is “too hot to handle” and doesn’t belong in Maine.
(5) I was present at a conference in the early 1970s, where I remember Dr. Alvin Weinberg saying nuclear power was “a solution in search of a problem” and it found it, in the problem of waste disposal. Not much has changed. Here’s what Google AI overview has to say today: “No, the nuclear waste problem has not been fully solved, as there is no universally implemented permanent disposal solution, although significant progress has been made in safe temporary storage and waste management techniques. Currently, countries primarily rely on temporary storage, and while some, like Finland, have developed deep geological repositories, their full operation and long-term success are still being evaluated.” Note that some of the testimony on Maine’s nuke bills touted France’s ability to manage the nuclear fuel cycle. Actually, France is currently engaged in remediation of its prior practice of dumping nuke waste in the ocean, and is still searching for a satisfactory solution.
(6) The federal government still indemnifies nuclear power plants through the Price-Anderson Act of 1957 which limits liability and provides a government backstop for claims exceeding the industry’s private insurance and self-funded capacity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) indemnifies commercial nuclear power plants, while the Department of Energy (DOE) provides indemnification for its contractors. This system has been renewed multiple times, most recently in 2024, to ensure that damages from a nuclear incident would be covered. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10821
Background: There is nothing in the Maine political world more important than this year’s votes, in June and November. All the efforts we have been making to rescue the sinking ship of state will be either accomplished, or severely hampered if not nullified, by the result of those votes.
Everyone’s time and energy are limited, so it’s important to focus. We can drive ourselves batty responding to every outrage that comes to us in our daily news feeds, or we can acknowledge the outrages while focusing on this year’s primary goal: to nominate and then elect patriotic Americans who will change course, back to the principles and aspirations on which the nation was founded. We have a representative form of government. OUR job is to make sure our representatives are the best ones.
It’s not sufficient just to donate money, although that is important. You have to volunteer as an active participant in their campaign. You have to door-to-door canvass for them, write letters to the editor supporting them, wear their buttons and other merch, put up their road signs, make additional homemade road signs, put a bumper sticker on your car, host a house party, speak out in favor of them whenever you have a chance, and help them understand the issues that are important to you (i.e. help them develop their policies). If you are doing all this, you are doing the work necessary. If you have not yet started, please get busy!
The Democratic Party is not supposed to endorse specific candidates until after the primary. Unfortunately, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, the party has a habit of putting its thumb on the scale in favor of incumbents and other cronies. If you want to change this dynamic, research and support the other candidates. However, after the primary, be prepared to be fully on board with the nominees, because whoever they are, they are a better choice than any person who is still a member of the Republican party. Its leadership holds views antithetical to our principles, and the party rank-and-file is either ignorant, spineless, or complicit. In good conscience you cannot vote for, or promote, anyone who is still a Republican, to any office whatsoever.
Action: Pick your candidates and make it a top priority to get them elected! Or run yourself.
Urgency: Do your homework NOW and volunteer for someone by the end of January.
Understand Ranked Choice voting. It will be used in the June primaries for US Senate, US Congress, Governor, State Senate and State Representative, and also in the November election for US Senate and US Congress if there are three or more qualified candidates. On election night, municipal officials count only the first-choice selections for each ranked-choice voting contest. If no candidate received more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the memory devices containing the results (for tabulator municipalities) and the paper ballots (for hand-count municipalities) are delivered to the Secretary of State in Augusta for a central ranked-choice voting tabulation. Results from all memory devices and scanned paper ballots are uploaded into one database. The cast vote records are extracted and then processed through the ranked-choice voting software to produce final results.
Running for office. Collecting valid signatures is an excellent way to start promoting your favored candidate – which could even be you!. To be on the ballot in June, a signed petition must be received by the Secretary of State no later than March 16. The required minimum numbers of valid signatures for PARTY candidates are: 2000 for Governor or US Senator, 1000 for US Representative, 150 for county officers, 50 for County Commissioner, and 25 for state legislators. The signers must be registered to vote in the party for which the candidate is seeking nomination. The numbers of signatures required for NON-PARTY candidates are double these figures. The rules are spelled out in the State of Maine 2026 Candidate’s Guide to Ballot Access.
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2026 and our continuing fight to bring compassion, fairness, and peace into the hearts and minds of all Americans (citizens or not).
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
1) Help save the Kennedy Center’s independence and reputation
2) Stop Trump’s illegal attacks on Venezuela
3) Demand that the ultra-rich polluters pay their fair share
4) Resist Trump’s attempts to destroy alternative energy growth and to bolster coal
5) Keep fighting ICE by boycotting companies that are enabling it
6) Watch the CBS CECOT prison story that was pulled off the air
Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored.
Find your State Representative: By name: Here By district: Here
(Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.)
Actions
1) Help save the Kennedy Center’s independence and reputation:
On Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (MD-06) introduced two pieces of new legislation:
H.R.6925, the Kennedy Center Protection Act – “To require the removal of any signage or other identification from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that differs from the designation ‘John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’, as designated under section 3 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76i)” In plain English: basically to undo the recent addition of Trump’s name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts;
H.R.6926, the Federal Property Integrity Act – “To prohibit the naming, renaming, designating, or redesignating of any Federal building, land, or other asset in the name of a sitting President” In plain English:to ban Trump from doing this to any other federal asset during his tenure (which, given his love of spreading his “brand” all over the world, he is sure to do), and to prevent future presidents from trying the same thing. So far, there are 3 co-sponsors, John Larson (CT-1), Jahana Hayes (CT-5), and Adelita Grijalva (AZ-7)—all Democrats. Contact Rep. Jared Golden to urge him to co-sponsor these bills. This is the United States of America, not the United States of Trump.
2) Stop Trump’s illegal attacks on Venezuela: So far, no proposed legislation to take back Congress’s power to declare war has passed either the House or the Senate. The Republican legislators are still too afraid of Trump to attempt to clip his wings at all, and the Democrats have not succeeded in making more than a couple of them see sense and act. But this has to stop, especially when we have a kill-happy play-soldier at the head of the Pentagon and a sociopathic, power-hungry lunatic with the keys to the nuclear codes as his boss. Unless war has been declared, the extrajudicial murders of civilian boats and the (only known…so far) attack on a dock in Venezuela are all illegal. And it’s Congress’ job, not the president’s, to declare war. Plus, the evidence that has been presented in support of these attacks is very, very thin. Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to ask that they introduce new legislation to block war with and unprovoked/unjustified military actions against Venezuela, including those aimed at bringing about regime change in that country.
3) Demand that the ultra-rich polluters pay their fair share: As climate disasters intensify, the ultra-rich and fossil fuel corporations continue to dodge accountability for their role in worsening the crisis. Oxfam America’s latest research shows that a person from the richest 0.1% produces more carbon in a single day than a person in the bottom 50% produces all year. Yet while the super-rich profit from environmental destruction, everyday people pay the price. The ultra-rich are not just overconsuming carbon, but also actively investing in and profiting from the most polluting corporations. Oxfam’s research finds that the average billionaire produces 1.9 million tons of CO2 a year through their investments, while the rest of us are left to shoulder the burden of the growing climate crisis. Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to demand that they push for legislation to tax the very richest of the rich so that the federal government will have the money to help communities most harmed by the floods and wildfires, droughts and heat waves caused by the climate crisis. And/or you can sign this petition:https://act.oxfamamerica.org/page/90180/petition/1
4) Resist Trump’s attempts to destroy alternative energy growth and to bolster coal: On Monday, December 22nd, Trump ordered the suspension of five offshore wind projects that were under construction along the East Coast and poised to deliver power to more than 2.5 million homes and businesses. At least one was already partially working. The next day, his administration ordered two coal-burning power plants in Indiana to continue operating past their scheduled closure dates while it also gave hundreds of coal plants an additional five years before they will need to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching into sources of drinking water. Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to urge them to oppose these moves by Trump to kill the proliferation of greener energy and to bolster his beloved coal industry—an industry that is probably the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. This is more evidence that he 1) is irrational and motivated by whims rather what is best for this country’s land and its people; and 2) cares only about further enriching the hugely wealthy fossil-fuel companies and his billionaire cronies; the health and safety of the American people is of no interest to him. Our legislators must act to reverse both recent orders.
If you’re a Spotify or Pandora user, here are some replacement possibilities that aren’t complicit in supporting ICE:
Tidal (www.tidal.com): Artist-owned, transparent royalty model, and no record of hosting ICE or DHS recruitment campaigns.
Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/home): Operates under strict ad-placement standards and does not run third-party government recruitment ads.
SomaFM (www.somafm.com): Over 30 unique channels of listener-supported, commercial-free, underground/alternative radio broadcasting to the world. All music hand-picked by SomaFM’s award-winning DJs and music directors.
LuxuriaMusic (www.luxuriamusic.com): Unique, eclectic, and diverse Internet radio programming.
Support making solar energy more affordable for Mainers: LD 1730: An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis is being carried over to the new legislative session of 2026. This bill, sponsored by Senator Nicole Grohoski, would create a new category for small plug-in solar generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, eliminate interconnection requirements for these devices, and establish basic safety requirements. You can read the latest concept draft of this bill here: https://legislature.maine.gov/backend/App/Services/getDocument.aspx?documentId=121199 A hearing is scheduled for January 6th, this coming Tuesday. You can join the Zoom hearing or submit written testimony here: www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Choose “Public Hearing” and then for committee choose “Energy, Utilities, and Technology,” and then the date, Jan. 6, 2026, 1pm. Written testimony can be submitted any time between now and the day of the hearing. If any of your legislators are on this committee, you should also contact them directly. For local (Hancock County) folks, note that the sponsor of this bill is Hancock County’s state senator. Members of the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee: Senate: Mark Lawrence, Chair (D-York) Nicole Grohoski (D-Hancock) Matthew A. Harrington (R-York) House: Melanie F. Sachs, Chair (D-Freeport) Christopher J. Kessler (D-South Portland) Valli D. Geiger (D-Rockland) Sophia B. Warren (D-Scarborough) Walter Gerard Runte, Jr. (D-York) Kilton M. Webb (D-Durham) Steven D. Foster (R-Dexter) Nathan J. Wadsworth (R-Hiram) Reagan L. Paul (R-Winterport) Mathew David McIntyre (R-Lowell)
p.s. If you haven’t done all the actions in these emails and have the energy and/or the time, don’t forget to go back to previous Action Items emails to redo actions you feel strongly about or to do some you haven’t done yet. If, on the other hand, you want more Action Items than I’m able to provide these days, check out https://indivisiblebangor.org/call-to-action/. You’ll see my most recent emails there, too, but a lot of other stuff from Indivisible Bangor, Indivisible Mid Maine, Hancock County Democrats, and Washington County Democrat.
Indivisible Bangor, Maine People’s Alliance, and Democratic Socialists of America have organized a march and rally to oppose Trump’s war action in Venezuela. It starts at 12 PM on the bridge, with marching to the park at 12:20 PM, speakers start at 12:30 PM at the waterfront.
Confirmed speakers are Jordan Wood, Graham Platner, Brendan Davison-DSA, Paige Loud, and others, along with a choir performance.
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.
Good morning and Happy New Year on this cold cold cold COLD January morning! Not a lot of new stuff today, but be sure to scroll down for info on the new congressional calendars for this year. ~~George
Following this newsletter is today’s Emanuel’s Daily Action Email from Augusta; the daily action along with a link to his great list of important actions and information. I’m also linking yesterday’s full EDA email since I didn’t post yesterday. Today’s action (1/2) is asking us to boycott companies that work with ICE and includes a link to a handy list of such companies.
Also, an action from Hancock County Democrats: Action 188–Stop the dog waggin! (12/19), that discusses President Trump starting a war with Venezuela to distract from his disastrous administrative blunders, revenge efforts, failing health, and downright grift. More HCD actions here.
Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (12/22) with information about asking our senators and representative in Congress to demand the release of ALL the Epstein files NOW, to get rid of FBI head Kash Patel, and others actions. More BCCA actions here.
A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!
And THANK YOU to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Planning events and maintaining the website and email list take money, so these donations are appreciated!
Current News:
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Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area!
***** Wednesdays Weekly Orono Vigil in the town center, noon to 1:00 pm.
***** Fridays Bangor Visibility Brigade
The week finishes with two highway overpass actions! There is the Visibility Brigade on the Essex Street I-95 overpass at the new time of 3:00 p.m. Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
Please note, there will be no Visibility Brigade this Friday, 1/2. They will resume on Friday, 1/9/2026 Thank you and Happy New Year!
Upcoming Events:
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Get Graham on the Ballot in Bangor Week of Action Thursday 1/1/26- Sunday 1/4/26
Join the campaign in collecting signatures to get Graham on the ballot!
Once signed up, our team will reach out and invite you to your closest canvassing team where you’ll be trained and given materials to take action.
Thursday, January 1, 2026 – Sunday, January 4, 2026
Help the campaign get Matt Dunlap on the ballot! Sign up to volunteer to collect petition signatures for our run for Congress. We’ll provide all the materials and guidance you need — just bring your energy and commitment to helping working families.
Join a Community Conversation with Maine Legislators Saturday, January 17, 2026
Join Eastern Area Agency on Aging for Supporting Older Mainers: A Legislative Conversation, an engaging and interactive event designed for agency participants, older adults, caregivers, volunteers, staff, and local legislators. This community-centered conversation provides legislators an opportunity to hear directly from those with lived experience and from the staff and volunteers who support them, and to learn more about the needs of older Mainers and caregivers in our region. Legislators will share their priorities and connect one-on-one with constituents in a respectful, focused setting centered on aging-related issues.
The event will feature informal networking, guided tours of the Durgin Center, interactive program demonstrations, remarks from legislators and AARP Maine, and time to enjoy a complimentary lunch together while continuing the conversation.
Event Details
📅 Saturday, January 17
⏰ 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 EAAA’s Durgin Center, 274 State Street, Brewer
Registration is required (Registration Closes on Jan. 9)
Faith Linking in Action’s 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Sunday, January 18, 2026
Faith Linking in Action will host a Martin Luther King Day gathering featuring singer/educator Reggie Harris and artist Bob Shetterly on Sunday afternoon, January 18.
Join them at the First United Methodist Church in Bangor at 3:00 p.m. Contact Faith Linking in Action for more information!
2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Monday, January 19, 2026
The Greater Bangor Area Branch NAACP is hosting our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at a new location, Jeff’s Catering & Event Center in Brewer, ME on 01/19/2026.
This year’s keynote speaker is Darmita Wilson, Northern Light Health Vice President of Medical Education and Research.
Join us for good food and inspiring speeches. Individual, business, and organizational sponsorships gratefully accepted!
Jordan Wood in Orono! Town Hall at the Orono Public Library! Thursday, January 29, 2026
About this event
Orono! Democratic House Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Orono Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Paul LePage, and hear about what his plans as your next Congressman: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enacting universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
It’s going to be a rocky start to the new year for a lot of us. The ACA premium tax credits expire today, which will cause ACA rates to be so high that many Americans will no longer be able to afford health insurance. There is a bipartisan bill in the senate to address this, involving tax credits and health savings accounts. Read more about this bipartisan plan in this article from The Hill (12/26).
Also on the horizon are the primaries for one senate seat, the House representatives, and the governor. We also have the anti-trans ‘Protect Girls Sports’ referendum coming up, for which many of us saw signature gatherers at the polls last month. And there will surely be more nonsense from the administration weekly, if not daily. Stay tuned for a possible action during the State of the Union Address, the date for which has not yet been determined.
House and Senate Sessions and Calendar
The US House goes into session Tuesday, January 6th, and the Senate Monday January 5th. To keep up with their calendars go here for links to both houses. The Maine State Legislature begins action next week. Go here for a day by day rundown of committee meetings etc. You can bookmark these links in your browser. Thank you Emanuel for this info!
Plug-In Solar Bill Hearing Set for January 6, 2026
A message from the The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network (MUUSAN):
A plug-in solar bill has been accepted for a hearing this session. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that the hearing is set for January 6th! And the bill hasn’t actually been written yet, so we’ll go with the information we have to write and submit testimonies. They are looking for written testimonies only. As always, if one of your legislators is on the EUT Committee, please write to them as well.
LD 1730 An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices
Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis
Summary: This bill creates a new category for small plug-in solar generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, eliminates interconnection requirements for these devices, and establishes basic safety requirements. This measure will help bring renewable energy accessibility and affordability to Mainers.
Public Hearing: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1:00pm, Cross Building Rm. 212
Call to Action: Written testimony is for January 6th hearing
UU Connection:
Justice, Equity, Interdependence (web of life)
This reform makes clean energy ownership accessible to renters, low income households, and families whose homes aren’t suitable for traditional solar, helping them lower electricity bills at a time of steep utility price increases. By enacting LD 1730, Maine has a chance to lead in energy equity and resilience without subsidies, without fiscal impact, and with enormous public benefit. Increased use of solar power reduces the destruction of the web of life by human overuse of fossil fuels.
Thanks for taking a minute out of this busy season to support this bill.
Happy Holidays,
The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policiesand Academic Freedom
Fellow IB member and member of the American Association of University Professors, Elliot Benjamin, is forming a network with like-minded individuals at other US colleges and universities to organize and gather support for maintaining this kind of academic freedom.
(I have found a fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. Any other suggestions, just let me know! -George).
Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds.
Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social — maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify.
Use this social media moment to have GENTLE, NON-SHAMING conversations with friends about the Spotify boycott. Seriously, no one is going to respond well to judgy DMs when they’re just trying to post something fun about the music they like. So approach with kindness, maybe compliment their music tastes, and then talk about why you’ve decided to stream from other platforms for the time being (one point you can make: Those platforms probably treat their favorite artists much, much better than Spotify does).
Help us track the growth of this economic campaign by taking our one-question survey.
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 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!
The shutdown is over, but the need is not. There are still cuts to programs that help people with food and other needs.
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.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!
The Maine ICE Watch Hotline
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.
Other Ways to Take Action (Courtesy of Indivisible Cumberland County:
Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities.
Action Alert on LD 1917: Contact Governor Mills and tell her to sign into law this bill to protect Maine’s immigrant communities, workforce, public safety, and future!
Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund: Fund pools resources from across communities into a shared fund we can draw from immediately when urgent needs arise.
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!
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 have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Indivisible Bangor. 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! – George and Indivisible Bangor
Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action:
Action January 2nd 2026: Educate Yourself on Who to Boycott + Pick One Ice Co-operating Company (or more) to Boycott
Good Morning Folks, the New Year is 2 days old already. We have today and the weekend to get ready for political activity starting in our state capital and nationally on Tuesday the 6th. Restore, rest up, and get your balance!
Top Action to Take Today:
Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy. There are numerous boycotts going on, some of which we have listed below – ICE related boycotts include: Spotify, Linked In, Pandora, Home Depot, Walmart, Avelo Airlines, CBS News and more. For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to Icelist. Pick one of these companies to boycott, and stick to it until they stop working with ICE. Your boycott is more powerful if you contact the company to let them know you are boycotting them and why. (To find boycott related items below use the find function on your computer, and put in boycott.)
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~Emanuel
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!
Help Protect Trans Youth:Transequality reports that 58 transgender persons have been either murdered or died by suicide since the regime rolled out its cruel rhetoric and anti-trans policies. “Trump is now beginning the process of banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth through a rulemaking process, thus sidestepping Congress and the legislative process entirely.
The proposed rule, RIN 0938-AV87, would bar any hospital system that participates in Medicaid or Medicare from offering gender-affirming care to transgender youth, regardless of whether that care is paid for with federal funds or privately. The rule must first go through a 60-day public comment period, which ends no later than 5pm on February 17th2026. During a comment period, rules can be challenged, delayed, and fought, but only if people show up and refuse to let it move forward quietly. You can leave a public comment here. Note that public comments really are public, so if you have a reason to protect your anonymity, do it.” (Thank you to Shelley for this action)
Ask your Congressional Representatives to: support a war powers resolution blocking any unauthorized strikes on Venezuela, and call for an immediate investigation of the situation as a top priority of both the US Senate and House. For more on this go to 5calls.org. Congress needs to act on a first alleged land incursion in Venezuela (bomb-the-dock) as announced by Trump. It is ILLEGAL to bomb another country let alone its citizens’ boats without prior authorization from Congress. Senators and Representatives should be demanding an immediate cessation to these hostilities until Congress has weighed in on the matter.
Force the release of all the Epstein Files. Call or email Pingree or Golden and ask them to support the inherent contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi which House Members Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are threatening to draft. If passed, inherent contempt charges would allow the House to bypass the courts and force Bondi to either release the files or face personal consequences such as imprisonment. (Go to 5calls.org for more on this action)
Please consider asking your Maine State Representative and Senator to support LD 1383, a bill to end our complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values.
Contact our Congressional Delegation and ask them to demand the release of the second strike video to all of Congress and the American people. Let us make a judgement on the legitimacy of this action. So far, only top members of the Senate and House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees have viewed the second strike on the survivors of a Trump administration drone attack. Many legal experts have clarified that attacking survivors is against both US and international law. Some Republicans say the two men were trying to flip their exploded boat over so they could continue their drug run. For more information go here and here.
We haven’t talked much about farms and food lately as part of the resistance, but here in Maine we have scores of organic and traditional small farms and your support for these two bills will support the farmers who feed us and our families daily. Oppose the White House’s short-term farm-aid plan: Trump’s plan to provide 11 billion dollars for Big Agriculture, and 1 Billion for “specialty farming” which includes small family farms and organic farming is patently unfair. Call Senators King and Collins and House Rep Golden to urge them to speak up about this discriminatory farm-aid bill. ALL farmers are being hurt by Trump’s tariffs, and small and medium farms should not be left behind. And while you are on the phone ask King, Pingree and Golden to Support the Domestic Organic Investment Act which gives Organic farmers the capacity to expand their businesses. Collins is one of the co-sponsors – so thank her for that. (Thanks to Shelly for this action)
Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense. He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. The Impeachment bill is H. Res. 935.
They should demand his immediate resignation NOW. Articles of Impeachment are on the way for RFK Jr. as well. (Thanks to Dave for this information.)
Support the right of our troops to disobey illegal orders: Defiance.org, in partnership with WhistleblowerAid.org, has launched Phase One of what it planned to be an ongoing effort to help members of our military obey lawful orders, recognize manifestly illegal ones, and know where to turn to understand the difference. This campaign includes:
Geo-targeted public service announcements, online and via social media; Billboards near key U.S. military installations ; Information about confidential, independent support available through Whistleblower Aid, a trusted nonprofit that offers legal intake and case support for servicemembers and government officials; A volunteer-driven push to distribute information in military communities nationwide Defiance.org has: Downloadable posters that we can distribute in our communities and/or near military hubs – Bases, Recruitment Centers, MEPs, ROTC Units, National Guard + Reserve Centers, etc.;Downloadable wallet cards you can keep on you to share with military members when you cross paths , A downloadable you can use to post about the campaign on social media. (Thanks to Shelly for this post!)
Mutual Aid
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.” Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.
Heating Assistance: If you have friends, neighbors, or need support for Heating Assistance, Li Heap funds have been authorized for Maine, Click here to learn more about applying for LIHEAP assistance. Collins and King were involved in pushing that this money get released after the Government shutdown.
Arts and Politics!
Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page. According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds. Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.
Indivisible Bangor suggests you stop using Spotify free version and instead try some of these options: We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. (Thanks to George from Indivisible Bangor for these suggestions)
GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS (just pick one!)
Boycott CBS News and let them know why you are doing it: Now owned by the Trump supporting Ellison family, CBS has just started to slant its news rightward by cancelling a 60 minutes segment on the torture prison CECOT in El Salvador. The piece was picked up on the internet and you can see it here. Contact CBS and let them know that you will be boycotting their stations as well as Paramount Plus. You can tell them, too, that you’ll be writing to their advertisers and letting them know that you won’t be shopping with them as long as they continue to buy ads with CBS and Paramount. You can reach them via their comment page online, their ombudsman feedback page , their Facebook page , or by direct messaging them on their Instagram page. You can also email the following CBS executives: Tom Cibrowski, President & Executive Editor, CBS News: CibrowskiT@cbsnews.com Stacey Benson, CFO, CBS News: BensonS@cbsnews.com Ross Dagan, CBS Executive VP & head of news operations: DaganR@cbsnews.com (Thank you Shelly for this piece)
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.
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.
From Linda: I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
Support the Plug-In Solar Bill LD 1730 (An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices) Hearing Set for January 6, 2026, Energy, Utilities & Technology Public Hearing: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1:00pm, Cross Building Rm. 212, Writtentestimony is for the January 6th hearing. Here is a list of talking points and more info.
Ask your local Maine Representative and Senator to support LD 1383 “An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations.” This bill prohibits Maine from investing its funds from any companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that are “associated with” a “perpetrator state”. For more details see the attachment below. The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rightsis responsible for this campaign, see their one page toolkit here, and write a letter to your state legislative representatives.
Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot.
More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat. Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here. Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
Check out the No Kings Alliance page for updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
Emanuel
“Not only do the oppressed lose nothing when people of conscience boycott institutions that are persistently complicit in the system of oppression; in fact, they gain enormously from the ultimate weakening of this complicity that an effective and sustained boycott leads to.” ― Omar Barghouti, Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights
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!
Since I did not post an IB Newsletter yesterday, 1/1/26, here is the full Call to Action email from Emanuel from that day.
Good Morning Folks, it’s a New Year! Let’s make it a better one for the planet. As always this starts with being compassionate with yourself. As the poem below notes, we were all one at the beginning of time, why not act that way now?
Top Action to Take Today:
Support the Plug-In Solar Bill LD 1730 (An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices) Hearing Set for January 6, 2026 A message from the The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network (MUUSAN): A plug-in solar bill has been accepted for a hearing this session. They are looking for written testimonies only. If one of your legislators is on the EUT Committee, please write or call them as well. This bill creates a new category for small plug-in solar generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, eliminates interconnection requirements for these devices, and establishes basic safety requirements. This measure will help bring renewable energy accessibility and affordability to Mainers. Sponsors: Senator Nicole Grohoski Committee: Energy, Utilities & Technology Public Hearing: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1:00pm, Cross Building Rm. 212 Call to Action: Writtentestimony is for the January 6th hearing. Here is a list of talking points and more info. (thank you to Indivisible Bangor for this one!)
For the Heart For Your Heart this second week of Winter:
Don’t get your gunpowder wet. Know how to use your anger skillfully. Don’t waste it.
SINGULARITY by Marie Howe (after Stephen Hawking) Do you sometimes want to wake up to the singularity we once were?so compact nobody needed a bed, or food or money — nobody hiding in the school bathroom or home alonepulling open the drawer where the pills are kept.For every atom belonging to me as good Belongs to you. Remember?There was no Nature. No them. No teststo determine if the elephant grieves her calf or if the coral reef feels pain. Trashed oceans don’t speak English or Farsi or French;would that we could wake up to what we were — when we were ocean and before that to when sky was earth, and animal was energy, and rock was liquid and stars were space and space was notat all — nothingbefore we came to believe humans were so important before this awful loneliness.Can molecules recall it? what once was? before anything happened?No I, no We, no one. No was No verb no noun only a tiny tiny dot brimming with is is is is isAll everything home
More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth
Help Protect Trans Youth:Transequality reports that 58 transgender persons have been either murdered or died by suicide since the regime rolled out its cruel rhetoric and anti-trans policies. “Trump is now beginning the process of banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth through a rulemaking process, thus sidestepping Congress and the legislative process entirely.
The proposed rule, RIN 0938-AV87, would bar any hospital system that participates in Medicaid or Medicare from offering gender-affirming care to transgender youth, regardless of whether that care is paid for with federal funds or privately. The rule must first go through a 60-day public comment period, which ends no later than 5pm on February 17th2026. During a comment period, rules can be challenged, delayed, and fought, but only if people show up and refuse to let it move forward quietly. You can leave a public comment here. Note that public comments really are public, so if you have a reason to protect your anonymity, do it.” (Thank you to Shelley for this action)
Ask your Congressional Representatives to: support a war powers resolution blocking any unauthorized strikes on Venezuela, and call for an immediate investigation of the situation as a top priority of both the US Senate and House. For more on this go to 5calls.org. Congress needs to act on a first alleged land incursion in Venezuela (bomb-the-dock) as announced by Trump. It is ILLEGAL to bomb another country let alone its citizens’ boats without prior authorization from Congress. Senators and Representatives should be demanding an immediate cessation to these hostilities until Congress has weighed in on the matter.
Force the release of all the Epstein Files. Call or email Pingree or Golden and ask them to support the inherent contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi which House Members Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are threatening to draft. If passed, inherent contempt charges would allow the House to bypass the courts and force Bondi to either release the files or face personal consequences such as imprisonment. (Go to 5calls.org for more on this action)
Please consider asking your Maine State Representative and Senator to support LD 1383, a bill to end our complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values.
Contact our Congressional Delegation and ask them to demand the release of the second strike video to all of Congress and the American people. Let us make a judgement on the legitimacy of this action. So far, only top members of the Senate and House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees have viewed the second strike on the survivors of a Trump administration drone attack. Many legal experts have clarified that attacking survivors is against both US and international law. Some Republicans say the two men were trying to flip their exploded boat over so they could continue their drug run. For more information go here and here.
We haven’t talked much about farms and food lately as part of the resistance, but here in Maine we have scores of organic and traditional small farms and your support for these two bills will support the farmers who feed us and our families daily. Oppose the White House’s short-term farm-aid plan: Trump’s plan to provide 11 billion dollars for Big Agriculture, and 1 Billion for “specialty farming” which includes small family farms and organic farming is patently unfair. Call Senators King and Collins and House Rep Golden to urge them to speak up about this discriminatory farm-aid bill. ALL farmers are being hurt by Trump’s tariffs, and small and medium farms should not be left behind. And while you are on the phone ask King, Pingree and Golden to Support the Domestic Organic Investment Act which gives Organic farmers the capacity to expand their businesses. Collins is one of the co-sponsors – so thank her for that. (Thanks to Shelly for this action)
Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense. He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. The Impeachment bill is H. Res. 935.
They should demand his immediate resignation NOW. Articles of Impeachment are on the way for RFK Jr. as well. (Thanks to Dave for this information.)
Support the right of our troops to disobey illegal orders: Defiance.org, in partnership with WhistleblowerAid.org, has launched Phase One of what it planned to be an ongoing effort to help members of our military obey lawful orders, recognize manifestly illegal ones, and know where to turn to understand the difference. This campaign includes:
Geo-targeted public service announcements, online and via social media; Billboards near key U.S. military installations ; Information about confidential, independent support available through Whistleblower Aid, a trusted nonprofit that offers legal intake and case support for servicemembers and government officials; A volunteer-driven push to distribute information in military communities nationwide Defiance.org has: Downloadable posters that we can distribute in our communities and/or near military hubs – Bases, Recruitment Centers, MEPs, ROTC Units, National Guard + Reserve Centers, etc.;Downloadable wallet cards you can keep on you to share with military members when you cross paths , A downloadable you can use to post about the campaign on social media. (Thanks to Shelly for this post!)
Mutual Aid
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.” Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.
Heating Assistance: If you have friends, neighbors, or need support for Heating Assistance, Li Heap funds have been authorized for Maine, Click here to learn more about applying for LIHEAP assistance. Collins and King were involved in pushing that this money get released after the Government shutdown.
Arts and Politics!
Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page. According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds. Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.
Indivisible Bangor suggests you stop using Spotify free version and instead try some of these options: We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. (Thanks to George from Indivisible Bangor for these suggestions)
GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS (just pick one!)
Boycott CBS News and let them know why you are doing it: Now owned by the Trump supporting Ellison family, CBS has just started to slant its news rightward by cancelling a 60 minutes segment on the torture prison CECOT in El Salvador. The piece was picked up on the internet and you can see it here. Contact CBS and let them know that you will be boycotting their stations as well as Paramount Plus. You can tell them, too, that you’ll be writing to their advertisers and letting them know that you won’t be shopping with them as long as they continue to buy ads with CBS and Paramount. You can reach them via their comment page online, their ombudsman feedback page , their Facebook page , or by direct messaging them on their Instagram page. You can also email the following CBS executives: Tom Cibrowski, President & Executive Editor, CBS News: CibrowskiT@cbsnews.com Stacey Benson, CFO, CBS News: BensonS@cbsnews.com Ross Dagan, CBS Executive VP & head of news operations: DaganR@cbsnews.com (Thank you Shelly for this piece)
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.
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.
From Linda: I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
Support the Plug-In Solar Bill LD 1730 (An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices) Hearing Set for January 6, 2026, Energy, Utilities & Technology Public Hearing: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1:00pm, Cross Building Rm. 212, Writtentestimony is for the January 6th hearing. Here is a list of talking points and more info.
Ask your local Maine Representative and Senator to support LD 1383 “An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations.” This bill prohibits Maine from investing its funds from any companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that are “associated with” a “perpetrator state”. For more details see the attachment below. The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rightsis responsible for this campaign, see their one page toolkit here, and write a letter to your state legislative representatives.
Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot.
More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat. Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here. Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
Check out the No Kings Alliance page for updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
The US House goes into session Tuesday, January 6th, and the Senate Monday January 5th. To keep up with their calendars go here for links to both houses. The Maine State Legislature begins action next week. Go here for a day by day rundown of committee meetings etc. You can bookmark these links in your browser
LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area. To sign up: go here. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on. Our last email, the 2025 Year End Wrap Up is full of resources to educate yourself as a resistor. Check it out – Attached below.
ICE is here in Mid Maine: Someone got arrested by Border Patrol at Ming Lee Restaurant in Waterville last Wednesday. I do not have more details, but keep your eyes open for Border Patrol trucks and ICE vehicles and call in the information if you see one to the ICE Hotline at 207 544 9989.
Indivisible MidMaine is sponsoring an MLK day event that has limited seating – Indivisible Mid Maine Remembers and Honors Dr. King – Monday January 19th, 1-4 at the Playhouse at Waterville Station (the old RailRoad Square building). The event will include the viewing of a documentary, discussion, and the opportunity to donate winter clothing for folks who need it. To sign up go here, remember, space is limited! Join us and help build the Mid Maine community of resisters.
Later that day Waterville’s One Million Rising Group will be meeting to support one another in our activism – whatever form that takes. If you want to join us please email Emanuel or Jeanine.
There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.
Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English? To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners have organized an ICE watch Hotline in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989Wednesday, December 31st: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville, Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard at recordconnection@gmail.com
Thursday, January 1st: Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: Is definitely happening on New Year’s Day….stop the coup, support Democracy.
First Saturday of Each Month: January 3d is a first Saturday! Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County. Sunday, January 4th : 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in Waterville Tuesday, January 6th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) Old Location at Tesla Charging Stations at Elm Plaza, Waterville Stand with us to remind the traffic that we need to WAKE UP and start resisting the authoritarian take over of our Government. We have been at this location since Tuesday, Feb. 4th? 2025! Wednesday, January 7th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville, Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard at recordconnection@gmail.com
SOLIDARITY
*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. The oddsmakers have him beating Mills in the primary as of this week.
However, Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!
*If you would like to join Maine People’s Alliance Federal Lobby Group, please contact Jim Parakilas at jamesparakilas@gmail.com. We meet Mondays at 2 pm on Zoom.
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
Emanuel
There are plenty of other technologies we’re [currently] spending money on, including small nuclear reactors and giant carbon-sucking machines, that may or may not someday play a role in the climate fight, but, for all the furor they produce, they seem unlikely to make much difference anytime soon. In the next few years, while the planet’s climate system teeters on the edge of breaking, it’s sun, wind, and batteries that matter. They’re cheap, and they’re ready.
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!
Good morning! I lost all track of time yesterday and did not send out the newsletter. Today’s is mostly a recap of Monday’s, with the addition of the link to the CBS 60 Minutes CECOT story in case you haven’t seen it yet (which I recommend), today’s Daily Action from Emanuel, and a few other items in “Other News.” There will not be a newsletter tomorrow, New Year’s Day, but I WILL return with it on Friday, 1/2/2026. Thank you and Happy New Year!! ~~George
Following this newsletter is Emanuel’s Daily Action Email from Augusta; the daily action along with a link to his great list of important actions and information. Today’s action (12/31) is asking us to help protect trans youth.
Also, an action from Hancock County Democrats: Action 188–Stop the dog waggin! (12/19), that discusses President Trump starting a war with Venezuela to distract from his disastrous administrative blunders, revenge efforts, failing health, and downright grift. More HCD actions here.
Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (12/22) with information about asking our senators and representative in Congress to demand the release of ALL the Epstein files NOW, to get rid of FBI head Kash Patel, and others actions. More BCCA actions here.
A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!
And THANK YOU to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Planning events and maintaining the website and email list take money, so these donations are appreciated!
Current News:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area!
***** TODAY Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil in the town center, noon to 1:00 pm.
***** Fridays Bangor Visibility Brigade
The week finishes with two highway overpass actions! There is the Visibility Brigade on the Essex Street I-95 overpass at the new time of 3:00 p.m. Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
Please note, there will be no Visibility Brigade this Friday, 1/2. Thank you and Happy New Year!
Upcoming Events:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get Graham on the Ballot in Bangor Week of Action Thursday 1/1/26- Sunday 1/4/26
Join the campaign in collecting signatures to get Graham on the ballot!
Once signed up, our team will reach out and invite you to your closest canvassing team where you’ll be trained and given materials to take action.
Thursday, January 1, 2026 – Sunday, January 4, 2026
Help the campaign get Matt Dunlap on the ballot! Sign up to volunteer to collect petition signatures for our run for Congress. We’ll provide all the materials and guidance you need — just bring your energy and commitment to helping working families.
Join a Community Conversation with Maine Legislators Saturday, January 17, 2026
Join Eastern Area Agency on Aging for Supporting Older Mainers: A Legislative Conversation, an engaging and interactive event designed for agency participants, older adults, caregivers, volunteers, staff, and local legislators. This community-centered conversation provides legislators an opportunity to hear directly from those with lived experience and from the staff and volunteers who support them, and to learn more about the needs of older Mainers and caregivers in our region. Legislators will share their priorities and connect one-on-one with constituents in a respectful, focused setting centered on aging-related issues.
The event will feature informal networking, guided tours of the Durgin Center, interactive program demonstrations, remarks from legislators and AARP Maine, and time to enjoy a complimentary lunch together while continuing the conversation.
Event Details
📅 Saturday, January 17
⏰ 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 EAAA’s Durgin Center, 274 State Street, Brewer
Registration is required (Registration Closes on Jan. 9)
Faith Linking in Action’s 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Sunday, January 18, 2026
Faith Linking in Action will host a Martin Luther King Day gathering featuring singer/educator Reggie Harris and artist Bob Shetterly on Sunday afternoon, January 18.
Join them at the First United Methodist Church in Bangor at 3:00 p.m. Contact Faith Linking in Action for more information!
2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Monday, January 19, 2026
The Greater Bangor Area Branch NAACP is hosting our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at a new location, Jeff’s Catering & Event Center in Brewer, ME on 01/19/2026.
This year’s keynote speaker is Darmita Wilson, Northern Light Health Vice President of Medical Education and Research.
Join us for good food and inspiring speeches. Individual, business, and organizational sponsorships gratefully accepted!
Jordan Wood in Orono! Town Hall at the Orono Public Library! Thursday, January 29, 2026
About this event
Orono! Democratic House Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Orono Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Paul LePage, and hear about what his plans as your next Congressman: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enacting universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
It’s going to be a rocky start to the new year for a lot of us. The ACA premium tax credits expire today, which will cause ACA rates to be so high that many Americans will no longer be able to afford health insurance. There is a bipartisan bill in the senate to address this, involving tax credits and health savings accounts. Read more about this bipartisan plan in this article from The Hill (12/26).
Also on the horizon are the primaries for one senate seat, the House representatives, and the governor. We also have the anti-trans ‘Protect Girls Sports’ referendum coming up, for which many of us saw signature gatherers at the polls last month. And there will surely be more nonsense from the administration weekly, if not daily. Stay tuned for a possible action during the State of the Union Address, the date for which has not yet been determined.
House and Senate Sessions and Calendar
The US House goes into session Tuesday, January 6th, and the Senate Monday January 5th. To keep up with their calendars go here for links to both houses. The Maine State Legislature begins action next week. Go here for a day by day rundown of committee meetings etc. You can bookmark these links in your browser. Thank you Emanuel for this info!
Plug-In Solar Bill Hearing Set for January 6, 2026
A message from the The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network (MUUSAN):
A plug-in solar bill has been accepted for a hearing this session. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that the hearing is set for January 6th! And the bill hasn’t actually been written yet, so we’ll go with the information we have to write and submit testimonies. They are looking for written testimonies only. As always, if one of your legislators is on the EUT Committee, please write to them as well.
LD 1730 An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices
Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis
Summary: This bill creates a new category for small plug-in solar generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, eliminates interconnection requirements for these devices, and establishes basic safety requirements. This measure will help bring renewable energy accessibility and affordability to Mainers.
Public Hearing: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 1:00pm, Cross Building Rm. 212
Call to Action: Written testimony is for January 6th hearing
UU Connection:
Justice, Equity, Interdependence (web of life)
This reform makes clean energy ownership accessible to renters, low income households, and families whose homes aren’t suitable for traditional solar, helping them lower electricity bills at a time of steep utility price increases. By enacting LD 1730, Maine has a chance to lead in energy equity and resilience without subsidies, without fiscal impact, and with enormous public benefit. Increased use of solar power reduces the destruction of the web of life by human overuse of fossil fuels.
Thanks for taking a minute out of this busy season to support this bill.
Happy Holidays,
The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policiesand Academic Freedom
Fellow IB member and member of the American Association of University Professors, Elliot Benjamin, is forming a network with like-minded individuals at other US colleges and universities to organize and gather support for maintaining this kind of academic freedom.
(I have found a fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. Any other suggestions, just let me know! -George).
Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds.
Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social — maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify.
Use this social media moment to have GENTLE, NON-SHAMING conversations with friends about the Spotify boycott. Seriously, no one is going to respond well to judgy DMs when they’re just trying to post something fun about the music they like. So approach with kindness, maybe compliment their music tastes, and then talk about why you’ve decided to stream from other platforms for the time being (one point you can make: Those platforms probably treat their favorite artists much, much better than Spotify does).
Help us track the growth of this economic campaign by taking our one-question survey.
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 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!
The shutdown is over, but the need is not. There are still cuts to programs that help people with food and other needs.
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.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!
The Maine ICE Watch Hotline
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.
Other Ways to Take Action (Courtesy of Indivisible Cumberland County:
Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities.
Action Alert on LD 1917: Contact Governor Mills and tell her to sign into law this bill to protect Maine’s immigrant communities, workforce, public safety, and future!
Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund: Fund pools resources from across communities into a shared fund we can draw from immediately when urgent needs arise.
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!
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 have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Indivisible Bangor. 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! – George and Indivisible Bangor
Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action:
Action Wednesday December 31st: Protect Trans Youth – Make a Comment on Trump’s Rule to Ban Gender Affirming Care
Good Morning Folks, it’s the last day of 2025. It’s been a year of enormous suffering for many, tax and power breaks for the billionaires, and the upwelling of a powerful resistance movement. Thanks to all of us for any action we have taken this year to build community and push back on the authoritarian tide. Here’s to a better year in 2026.
Top Action to Take Today:
Help Protect Trans Youth:Transequality reports that 58 transgender persons have been either murdered or died by suicide since the regime rolled out its cruel rhetoric and anti-trans policies. “Trump is now beginning the process of banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth through a rulemaking process, thus sidestepping Congress and the legislative process entirely.
The proposed rule, RIN 0938-AV87, would bar any hospital system that participates in Medicaid or Medicare from offering gender-affirming care to transgender youth, regardless of whether that care is paid for with federal funds or privately. The rule must first go through a 60-day public comment period, which ends no later than 5pm on February 17th2026. During a comment period, rules can be challenged, delayed, and fought, but only if people show up and refuse to let it move forward quietly. You can leave a public comment here. Note that public comments really are public, so if you have a reason to protect your anonymity, do it.” (Thank you to BCCA for this action)
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~Emanuel
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!
Ask your Congressional Representatives to: support a war powers resolution blocking any unauthorized strikes on Venezuela, and call for an immediate investigation of the situation as a top priority of both the US Senate and House. For more on this go to 5calls.org. Congress needs to act on a first alleged land incursion in Venezuela (bomb-the-dock) as announced by Trump. It is ILLEGAL to bomb another country let alone its citizens’ boats without prior authorization from Congress. Senators and Representatives should be demanding an immediate cessation to these hostilities until Congress has weighed in on the matter.
Force the release of all the Epstein Files. Call or email Pingree or Golden and ask them to support the inherent contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi which House Members Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are threatening to draft. If passed, inherent contempt charges would allow the House to bypass the courts and force Bondi to either release the files or face personal consequences such as imprisonment. (Go to 5calls.org for more on this action)
Please consider asking your Maine State Representative and Senator to support LD 1383, a bill to end our complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values.
Contact our Congressional Delegation and ask them to demand the release of the second strike video to all of Congress and the American people. Let us make a judgement on the legitimacy of this action. So far, only top members of the Senate and House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees have viewed the second strike on the survivors of a Trump administration drone attack. Many legal experts have clarified that attacking survivors is against both US and international law. Some Republicans say the two men were trying to flip their exploded boat over so they could continue their drug run. For more information go here and here.
We haven’t talked much about farms and food lately as part of the resistance, but here in Maine we have scores of organic and traditional small farms and your support for these two bills will support the farmers who feed us and our families daily. Oppose the White House’s short-term farm-aid plan: Trump’s plan to provide 11 billion dollars for Big Agriculture, and 1 Billion for “specialty farming” which includes small family farms and organic farming is patently unfair. Call Senators King and Collins and House Rep Golden to urge them to speak up about this discriminatory farm-aid bill. ALL farmers are being hurt by Trump’s tariffs, and small and medium farms should not be left behind. And while you are on the phone ask King, Pingree and Golden to Support the Domestic Organic Investment Act which gives Organic farmers the capacity to expand their businesses. Collins is one of the co-sponsors – so thank her for that. (Thanks to Shelly for this action)
Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense. He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. The Impeachment bill is H. Res. 935.
They should demand his immediate resignation NOW. Articles of Impeachment are on the way for RFK Jr. as well. (Thanks to Dave for this information.)
Support the right of our troops to disobey illegal orders: Defiance.org, in partnership with WhistleblowerAid.org, has launched Phase One of what it planned to be an ongoing effort to help members of our military obey lawful orders, recognize manifestly illegal ones, and know where to turn to understand the difference. This campaign includes:
Geo-targeted public service announcements, online and via social media; Billboards near key U.S. military installations ; Information about confidential, independent support available through Whistleblower Aid, a trusted nonprofit that offers legal intake and case support for servicemembers and government officials; A volunteer-driven push to distribute information in military communities nationwide Defiance.org has: Downloadable posters that we can distribute in our communities and/or near military hubs – Bases, Recruitment Centers, MEPs, ROTC Units, National Guard + Reserve Centers, etc.;Downloadable wallet cards you can keep on you to share with military members when you cross paths , A downloadable you can use to post about the campaign on social media. (Thanks to Shelly for this post!)
Mutual Aid
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.” Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.
Heating Assistance: If you have friends, neighbors, or need support for Heating Assistance, Li Heap funds have been authorized for Maine, Click here to learn more about applying for LIHEAP assistance. Collins and King were involved in pushing that this money get released after the Government shutdown.
Arts and Politics!
Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page. According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds. Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.
Indivisible Bangor suggests you stop using Spotify free version and instead try some of these options: We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. (Thanks to George from Indivisible Bangor for these suggestions)
GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS (just pick one!)
Boycott CBS News and let them know why you are doing it: Now owned by the Trump supporting Ellison family, CBS has just started to slant its news rightward by cancelling a 60 minutes segment on the torture prison CECOT in El Salvador. The piece was picked up on the internet and you can see it here. Contact CBS and let them know that you will be boycotting their stations as well as Paramount Plus. You can tell them, too, that you’ll be writing to their advertisers and letting them know that you won’t be shopping with them as long as they continue to buy ads with CBS and Paramount. You can reach them via their comment page online, their ombudsman feedback page , their Facebook page , or by direct messaging them on their Instagram page. You can also email the following CBS executives: Tom Cibrowski, President & Executive Editor, CBS News: CibrowskiT@cbsnews.com Stacey Benson, CFO, CBS News: BensonS@cbsnews.com Ross Dagan, CBS Executive VP & head of news operations: DaganR@cbsnews.com (Thank you Shelly for this piece)
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.
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.
From Linda: I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
Ask your local Maine Representative and Senator to support LD 1383 “An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations.” This bill prohibits Maine from investing its funds from any companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that are “associated with” a “perpetrator state”. For more details see the attachment below. The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rightsis responsible for this campaign, see their one page toolkit here, and write a letter to your state legislative representatives.
Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot.
More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat. Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here. Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
Check out the No Kings Alliance page for updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area. To sign up: go here. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on. Our last email, the 2025 Year End Wrap Up is full of resources to educate yourself as a resistor. Check it out – Attached below.
ICE is here in Mid Maine: Someone got arrested by Border Patrol at Ming Lee Restaurant in Waterville last Wednesday. I do not have more details, but keep your eyes open for Border Patrol trucks and ICE vehicles and call in the information if you see one to the ICE Hotline at 207 544 9989.
Indivisible MidMaine is sponsoring an MLK day event that has limited seating – Indivisible Mid Maine Remembers and Honors Dr. King – Monday January 19th, 1-4 at the Playhouse at Waterville Station (the old RailRoad Square building). The event will include the viewing of a documentary, discussion, and the opportunity to donate winter clothing for folks who need it. To sign up go here, remember, space is limited! Join us and help build the Mid Maine community of resisters.
There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.
Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English? To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners have organized an ICE watch Hotline in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989.
Wednesday, December 31st: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville, Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard at recordconnection@gmail.com
Thursday, January 1st: Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: Is definitely happening on New Year’s Day….stop the coup, support Democracy.
First Saturday of Each Month: January 3d is a first Saturday! Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County. Sunday, January 4th : 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in Waterville Tuesday, January 6th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) Old Location at Tesla Charging Stations at Elm Plaza, Waterville Stand with us to remind the traffic that we need to WAKE UP and start resisting the authoritarian take over of our Government. We have been at this location since Tuesday, Feb. 4th? 2025!
SOLIDARITY
*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. The oddsmakers have him beating Mills in the primary as of this week.
However, Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!
*If you would like to join Maine People’s Alliance Federal Lobby Group, please contact Jim Parakilas at jamesparakilas@gmail.com. We meet Mondays at 2 pm on Zoom.
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
Emanuel
“Right-wing extremists are endangering our democracy and our very right to exist. Trans people—especially Black trans women—continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory policies, political scapegoating, and violence. These forces are interconnected and deadly. Trans people deserve more than remembrance; we deserve the chance to live full, joyful, and self-determined lives.”
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!
