Good Morning Folks, it’s a first Friday in March. Mixed results yesterday – Kristi Noem (Big Hat, No Cattle) is fired (yay!), Jared Golden voted AGAINST the War Powers Resolution. The bombing of Iran continues with no end in sight. Thanks for the anti-war activities everywhere.

Top Action to Take Today: Contact Aaron Frey Maine’s Attorney General and ask him to join Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General in launching an anti trust suit against the companies that will be owned by one man – David Ellison – a huge Trump backer.  His company will own: CBS News, Tick Tock (where 1 in 5 Americans get their news), CNN, HBO (John Oliver),  and Comedy Central (John Stewart). As Robert Reich points out (I have attached his post) this is a Media Monopoly, the size of which we have never seen before. An Anti-Trust suit is in order, and the States Attorney Generals can stop it. You can call Aaron at: 

 (207) 626-8800.

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

Contact Senator King and thank him for standing firm on opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security.  Just because Kristie Noem is gone, doesn’t mean anything else will change unless change is forced. As recently as the end of January he has suggested separating funding for ICE + CBP from the other affected agencies such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. Ask him to add to the list of demands for ICE reform that the Feds cooperate with Minnesota law enforcement in the investigation into the deaths of Alex Preti and Renee Good.Contact Senator King  to vote NO on the SAVE act HR 7296 (narrowly passed the house this week) – , and let Susan Collins know that we oppose her support for this act. The new SAVE Act adds new requirements that voters present a proof of citizenship both when registering to vote and when casting a ballot – 5calls.org has more on this.   While you are at it, let them know  to vote No on the MEGA Act, HR 7300 both of which are voter suppression efforts. .  “Make Elections Great Again” (MEGA) would ban mail in ballots, limit absentee voting Go to 5calls.org for more information and a script for this call/contact.  
Maine Related Actions    From the Maine People’s Alliance: There are several bills in the Maine Legislature that would raise the taxes on the super-rich and profitable corporations to help pay for the cuts in Federal spending for basic needs in Maine, These bills includeLD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. Go here to write a letter to our legislative leaders. (MPA has the text for the letter, and you can personalize it.)Contact your state representative and senator to support the bills to restore Wabanaki Sovereignty:   These two bills were heard in front of the Judiciary Committee, and there has not been a report out of the Committee so far. Ask your reps to contact their friends on the Judiciary Committee to support these two bills.

LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”, would amend the law to allow the Wabanaki tribes (and the Mi’kmaq Nation) to benefit from existing and future federal laws that already apply to the 570-plus other federally recognized tribes. Get a copy of the bill here.

LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”, which would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern under the same federal laws that apply to tribes elsewhere in the United States. Get a copy of the bill here.

Together, these two acts would put the Wabanaki Nations on equal footing with most, if not all, of the other Native American tribes in our country. Go here for a toolkit from the Wabanaki Alliance on taking action on these bills. 

From the Maine League of Women Voters: here’s your annual reminder to check for Clean Elections on your tax return. Learn more here.  On the Maine Income Tax Form, Line 1, check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. If you’re using tax assistance software to file your taxes, like TurboTax, it may prompt you with the Clean Elections question automatically, making it even easier to check yes! Checking yes on the form does not impact your tax bill or refund in any way. Child care is a huge issue for working parents in Maine.  Contact your local Representative and Senator and ask them to support: LD 1955 will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff.

LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families.  To use the MPA’s Action Network to write a letter to your Rep and Senator on these supports for childcare in Maine go here. Remember Quality Child Care for all is great for the economy!!!!

Epstein Files Related Actions

To support Sexual Abuse Survivors:

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a billthat would  remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice,  would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with not expiration date. More details on this law here. 

Contact Congressional Representatives to have ALL of the Epstein Files Released and 

Support S. 2746, the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act:

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee (that oversees US banking) has been demanding access to Epstein’s finances. To this end, he introduced S. 2746 (the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act), which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to produce suspicious activity reports relating to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

 More on this at Democracy Now  

 For a script and more information go to 5calls.org. So far not a single perpetrator named in these files has been prosecuted. Call Senators King and Collins to urge them to cosponsor S. 2746 and to support the bill with members of the Senate Finance committee where the bill resides currently.

ICE related Actions    Call or write Senator King and Collins and ask them to vote against funding ICE and CBP in the appropriations bill that is currently waiting for approval – 60 votes needed. More details on this at 5calls.org.     There is a move afoot to tax corporations who wish to build ICE prison camps in Maine at a higher level than regular corporate tax to offset the demands on local resources. Along with simply disallowing these camps through local zoning action and public outcry, cutting into the profit margin of these businesses is another way to dissuade them from trying to settle in Maine. ICE has 45 billion dollars to build/rent/purchase prison camp facilities – see a full report on this 

here from the Brennan Center.
Contact our Congressional Representatives to: Claw back the 175 BILLION dollar slush fund that was approved in the “OBBA”(The Budget Bill Passed this Summer), for Immigration enforcement actions over the next four years. Collins + King both voted in favor of the Sanders Amendment which clawed back 75 Billion from ICE and CBP. Thank them for this, and then ask them to clawback this funding, and defund ICE and CBP until they meet standards of conduct for police professionals. For more information and a script go to 5calls.org for defunding ICE, and here for the 175 Billion Dollar Clawback. Call/email your local Representative and Senator to support, LD 2106 “An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review” to make sure ICE can’t enter private spaces in hospitals, schools, and childcare centers (learn more here ).  MPA has an ACTION TOOLKIT on this bill here.  You can still submit testimony on this bill here. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov. “Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.

”The Maine Immigrant’s  Rights Coalition has set up a resource hub on responding to ICE.  If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine:207 544 9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

Activate Maine has an ICE toolkit including links to sign up for ICE verifier and de escalation trainings.If you want to get more involved check out 

this training manual for becoming an ICE verifier.

The Maine ACLU has a page on being prepared for ICE actions in Maine: go here. 

Other resist ICE resources: Resources from the Democracy Security Project:  Printable De-Escalation Pocket Guide  Printable Protest Pocket Guide       Other DSP Resources Finally, consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: 

 Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project. Environmental Actions

LD 1870, the climate superfund bill was passed out of committee!  Next it’s headed to the Senate for a vote.  If you support this important legislation, please continue to contact your legislators about LD 1870 and urge them to Make Polluters Pay!   To learn NRCM’s priority bills for this short session,check their YouTube channel  Check out  https://www.nrcm.org/events/  (thank you Linda for this info.)

Keep glyphosate out of our food supply: 

 Contact Representative Jared Golden and urge him to cosponsor HR 7601 to protect us from glyphosate poisoning by corporations who have no interest in our health or well-being. On February 20th, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) introduced HR 7601, the “No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.” Co-sponsors so far are Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). This legislation would prohibit federal funds from implementing the Executive Order Trump issued recently expanding the production of Glyphosphate and Phosphorous under the Defense Production act.

ACA Related Actions

Call/write Senators King and Collins to support extending the ACA tax credits as the House did on January 8th.  The House’s version is a “clean” extension with no amendments.  The Maine People’s Alliance makes this really easy, go here. If you wish to write your own note or call, our Senator’s  contact information is below in the Contact Information part of this email. For more information go to 5calls.org. For a full toolkit on how to support this action  go here. This bill passed in the house!!Boycott: Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy.   For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ a new website that lists and explains all the corporations that are directly enabling the Trump administration’s nasty policies and/or helping ICE and CBP: (Thanks Shelly for this link)  Another resource on Boycotting – Scott Galloway’s podcast – Raging Moderates, discusses boycotting TechBro products at about 14:30 into the podcast, go here. (thank you Wendilee for this)

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.”   Activate Maine also has a Mutual Aid page with lots of resources.

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. 

Insurance Crisis:  The ACA cuts are in the Senate to be voted on. Please contact Esther at the Maine People’s Alliance who is collecting personal testimony to support the passage of the ACA tax cuts. 

ICE Related Mutual Aid: Both documented and undocumented immigrants are staying home in Maine, scared to leave the house to go shopping, bring their children to school, go to Dr’s appointments etc. You can help go here to find out how.

Arts and Politics!

If you live near Skowhegan check out Kevin James Studios at 127 Water Street for a whole gallery of resistance art!  (Let me know if you know of other art galleries showing political art and I will list them here.)

Research!

Learn more about Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – go to one or more of these links: Wikipedia:    BBCHarvard:

The Resource Alliance . (Thank you Beth for these links!) Get connected to Govtrack.US for daily information on what’s going on in Congress in terms of bills and votes.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

State Wide Actions

• See Maine Related Actions Above
• LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations has been tabled by the Committee on State and Local Government due to claims that it is anti-semitic, despite support from Jewish action groups. This committee is now intent on letting the bill die in committee. Call your state Senator and Representative to support this bill. Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it.
• Calendar March 28th for the next NO KINGS national mobilization
• If you know a teacher who is interested in an engaged and experiential way to teach civics, send them the flyer attached to this email.  The Maine Civics Network is offering two workshops this Spring to support teachers working on Digital Literacy with their students.
• 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.

Find Your State Senator: By name:

Here , By district: Here

Find your State Representative: By name: Here , By District:Here

For Maine State Legislative Calendar day by day go  here     For links to US Legislative Calendars go here

Check complete bill listing  here.          Find the text of any bill here  Instructions for testifying are here 

LOCAL ACTIONS: Ready to get involved in March 28th No-Kings 3 Day?  For the Waterville Area event, sign up 

here. Go to the same link to sign up for demonstrations in other areas. If you are interested in being a march leader, contact Elizabeth at leonardelizabeth1957@gmail.com. (We are looking to have converging marches from different parts of town.)Support Patric Moore who is a Democrat running for State Senate in Maine District 16 by contributing to his clean election fund here  and supporting seed money for his election expenses here. Patric will be running against Republican Scott Cyrway who votes party line Republican.

Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. The Capital Area New Mainers Project is collecting furniture and kitchen supplies for families in our area. They are helping a family who lost everything in a house fire – you can contribute 

here to this fund. 

. To donate fill out the form here.

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.

First Saturday of Each Month: 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, March 8th : 1:00 (and every Sunday) Bridge on KMD by the CVS Waterville: Stop the Killing, (ICE, Venezuela, USAID closing, ACA extensions dropped, etc.)

Tuesday, March 10th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) 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, March 11th: (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.  For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at mailto:recordconnection@gmail.com 

Thursday, March 6th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUTThursday, February 26th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUT

SOLIDARITY*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

“Technopoly is to say that its information immune system is inoperable. Technopoly is a form of cultural AIDS, which I here use as an acronym for Anti-Information Deficiency Syndrome……More important, it is why in a Technopoly there can be no transcendent sense of purpose or meaning, no cultural coherence. Information is dangerous when it has no place to go, when there is no theory to which it applies, no pattern in which it fits, when there is no higher purpose that it serves. Alfred North Whitehead called such information “inert,” but that metaphor is too passive. Information without regulation can be lethal.”
― Neil Postman, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology     

Good Morning Folks, it’s a For the Heart Thursday.  Sorry for the late post. Senator King voted for the War Powers Resolution yesterday, and Collins displayed her Maga alignment voting against it. Now it moves to the House, where it would be great to get Pingree and Golden to support the resolution and get the rest of the Republicans on record voting to support an illegal, immoral, and ultimately fruitless war.

Top Action to Take Today: If you haven’t yet, please contact Representatives Pingree and Golden to ask them to support an immediate vote on a War Powers Resolution saying No War on Iran. (Should be happening today or tomorrow). If you wish, use the Indivisible website to make your 

call, and to write an email to them 

here.  If you have the bandwidth, thank Senator King for voting yes in the Senate, and let Senator Collins know how you feel about her “sending the wrong message to our troops and Iran” statement as her reason for voting no on the War Powers Resolution.

For the Heart    For Your Heart this eleventh week of Winter: Of course, you feel angry. Anger is a human emotion. What is the deeper meaning? 

                                                                            Nancy Hathaway  Center for Studying Mindfulness The Guest HouseThis being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.— Jellaludin Rumi, (a great Persian Poet)
translation by Coleman Barks

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

     Contact your Senators and Representative to support Representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, in his request for the missing DOJ files which include FBI interviews with a 13 year old, Epstein sex abuse victim, who claims Trump abused her in the early 80’s. This is a clear cover up of vital information that might incriminate Trump as a pedaphile. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here, more information from NPR is here.       Contact Senator King and thank him for standing firm on opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security. As recently as the end of January he has suggested separating funding for ICE + CBP from the other affected agencies such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. This is what the Democrats should put forward taking away all leverage from the Republicans on this issue. If the R’s vote against separating the funding they own the effects of the shutdown! (ICE has 75 billion dollars to continue operating regardless of this year’s appropriations.) Thank you Karen for suggesting this action!Contact Senator King  to vote NO on the SAVE act HR 7296 (narrowly passed the house this week) – , and let Susan Collins know that we oppose her support for this act. The new SAVE Act adds new requirements that voters present a proof of citizenship both when registering to vote and when casting a ballot – 5calls.org has more on this.   While you are at it, let them know  to vote No on the MEGA Act, HR 7300 both of which are voter suppression efforts. .  “Make Elections Great Again” (MEGA) would ban mail in ballots, limit absentee voting Go to 5calls.org for more information and a script for this call/contact.  
Maine Related Actions    From the Maine People’s Alliance: There are several bills in the Maine Legislature that would raise the taxes on the super-rich and profitable corporations to help pay for the cuts in Federal spending for basic needs in Maine, These bills includeLD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. Go here to write a letter to our legislative leaders. (MPA has the text for the letter, and you can personalize it.)Contact your state representative and senator to support the bills to restore Wabanaki Sovereignty:   These two bills were heard in front of the Judiciary Committee, and there has not been a report out of the Committee so far. Ask your reps to contact their friends on the Judiciary Committee to support these two bills.

LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”, would amend the law to allow the Wabanaki tribes (and the Mi’kmaq Nation) to benefit from existing and future federal laws that already apply to the 570-plus other federally recognized tribes. Get a copy of the bill here.

LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”, which would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern under the same federal laws that apply to tribes elsewhere in the United States. Get a copy of the bill here.

Together, these two acts would put the Wabanaki Nations on equal footing with most, if not all, of the other Native American tribes in our country. Go here for a toolkit from the Wabanaki Alliance on taking action on these bills. 

From the Maine League of Women Voters: here’s your annual reminder to check for Clean Elections on your tax return. Learn more here.  On the Maine Income Tax Form, Line 1, check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. If you’re using tax assistance software to file your taxes, like TurboTax, it may prompt you with the Clean Elections question automatically, making it even easier to check yes! Checking yes on the form does not impact your tax bill or refund in any way. Child care is a huge issue for working parents in Maine.  Contact your local Representative and Senator and ask them to support: LD 1955 will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff.

LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families.  To use the MPA’s Action Network to write a letter to your Rep and Senator on these supports for childcare in Maine go here. Remember Quality Child Care for all is great for the economy!!!!

Epstein Files Related Actions

Latest Revelation – The FBI interviewed an underage accuser of Donald Trump several times, and the files for these interviews have “gone missing”. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here. Ask our Congressional Representatives to demand that the missing files get restored by the Department of Justice.

To support Sexual Abuse Survivors:

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a billthat would  remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice,  would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with not expiration date. More details on this law here. 

Contact Congressional Representatives to have ALL of the Epstein Files Released and 

Support S. 2746, the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act:

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee (that oversees US banking) has been demanding access to Epstein’s finances. To this end, he introduced S. 2746 (the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act), which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to produce suspicious activity reports relating to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

 More on this at Democracy Now  

 For a script and more information go to 5calls.org. So far not a single perpetrator named in these files has been prosecuted. Call Senators King and Collins to urge them to cosponsor S. 2746 and to support the bill with members of the Senate Finance committee where the bill resides currently.

ICE related Actions    Call or write Senator King and Collins and ask them to vote against funding ICE and CBP in the appropriations bill that is currently waiting for approval – 60 votes needed. More details on this at 5calls.org.     There is a move afoot to tax corporations who wish to build ICE prison camps in Maine at a higher level than regular corporate tax to offset the demands on local resources. Along with simply disallowing these camps through local zoning action and public outcry, cutting into the profit margin of these businesses is another way to dissuade them from trying to settle in Maine. ICE has 45 billion dollars to build/rent/purchase prison camp facilities – see a full report on this 

here from the Brennan Center.
Contact our Congressional Representatives to: Claw back the 175 BILLION dollar slush fund that was approved in the “OBBA”(The Budget Bill Passed this Summer), for Immigration enforcement actions over the next four years. Collins + King both voted in favor of the Sanders Amendment which clawed back 75 Billion from ICE and CBP. Thank them for this, and then ask them to clawback this funding, and defund ICE and CBP until they meet standards of conduct for police professionals. For more information and a script go to 5calls.org for defunding ICE, and here for the 175 Billion Dollar Clawback. Call/email your local Representative and Senator to support, LD 2106 “An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review” to make sure ICE can’t enter private spaces in hospitals, schools, and childcare centers (learn more here ).  MPA has an ACTION TOOLKIT on this bill here.  You can still submit testimony on this bill here. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov. “Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.

”The Maine Immigrant’s  Rights Coalition has set up a resource hub on responding to ICE.  If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine:207 544 9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

There are now 140 co-sponsors of a bill to impeach Kristi Noem, Head of the Department of Homeland Security, ask Pingree and Golden to cosponsor! 

Activate Maine has an ICE toolkit including links to sign up for ICE verifier and de escalation trainings.If you want to get more involved check out 

this training manual for becoming an ICE verifier.

The Maine ACLU has a page on being prepared for ICE actions in Maine: go here. 

Other resist ICE resources: Resources from the Democracy Security Project:  Printable De-Escalation Pocket Guide  Printable Protest Pocket Guide       Other DSP Resources Finally, consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: 

 Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project. Environmental Actions

LD 1870, the climate superfund bill was passed out of committee!  Next it’s headed to the Senate for a vote.  If you support this important legislation, please continue to contact your legislators about LD 1870 and urge them to Make Polluters Pay!   To learn NRCM’s priority bills for this short session,check their YouTube channel  Check out  https://www.nrcm.org/events/  (thank you Linda for this info.)

Keep glyphosate out of our food supply: 

 Contact Representative Jared Golden and urge him to cosponsor HR 7601 to protect us from glyphosate poisoning by corporations who have no interest in our health or well-being. On February 20th, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) introduced HR 7601, the “No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.” Co-sponsors so far are Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). This legislation would prohibit federal funds from implementing the Executive Order Trump issued recently expanding the production of Glyphosphate and Phosphorous under the Defense Production act,  and it would affirm that glyphosate manufacturers are not immune from civil liability under federal or state law. (Thank you Shelly for this one)

ACA Related Actions

Call/write Senators King and Collins to support extending the ACA tax credits as the House did on January 8th.  The House’s version is a “clean” extension with no amendments.  The Maine People’s Alliance makes this really easy, go here. If you wish to write your own note or call, our Senator’s  contact information is below in the Contact Information part of this email. For more information go to 5calls.org. For a full toolkit on how to support this action  go here. This bill passed in the house!!Boycott: Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy.   For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ a new website that lists and explains all the corporations that are directly enabling the Trump administration’s nasty policies and/or helping ICE and CBP: (Thanks Shelly for this link)  Another resource on Boycotting – Scott Galloway’s podcast – Raging Moderates, discusses boycotting TechBro products at about 14:30 into the podcast, go here. (thank you Wendilee for this)

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.”   Activate Maine also has a Mutual Aid page with lots of resources.

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. 

Insurance Crisis:  The ACA cuts are in the Senate to be voted on. Please contact Esther at the Maine People’s Alliance who is collecting personal testimony to support the passage of the ACA tax cuts. 

ICE Related Mutual Aid: Both documented and undocumented immigrants are staying home in Maine, scared to leave the house to go shopping, bring their children to school, go to Dr’s appointments etc. You can help go here to find out how.

Arts and Politics!

If you live near Skowhegan check out Kevin James Studios at 127 Water Street for a whole gallery of resistance art!  (Let me know if you know of other art galleries showing political art and I will list them here.)

Research!

Learn more about Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – go to one or more of these links: Wikipedia:    BBCHarvard:

The Resource Alliance . (Thank you Beth for these links!) Get connected to Govtrack.US for daily information on what’s going on in Congress in terms of bills and votes.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

State Wide Actions

• See Maine Related Actions Above
• LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations has been tabled by the Committee on State and Local Government due to claims that it is anti-semitic, despite support from Jewish action groups. This committee is now intent on letting the bill die in committee. Call your state Senator and Representative to support this bill. Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it.
• Calendar March 28th for the next NO KINGS national mobilization
• If you know a teacher who is interested in an engaged and experiential way to teach civics, send them the flyer attached to this email.  The Maine Civics Network is offering two workshops this Spring to support teachers working on Digital Literacy with their students.
• 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.

Find Your State Senator: By name:

Here , By district: Here

Find your State Representative: By name: Here , By District:Here

For Maine State Legislative Calendar day by day go  here     For links to US Legislative Calendars go here

Check complete bill listing  here.          Find the text of any bill here  Instructions for testifying are here 

LOCAL ACTIONS: “The President’s Cake” is an amazing and prescient movie at the Maine Film Center about Iraq at the beginning of the war against Saddam Hussein. The protagonist is a 12 year old girl who has to bake a cake for the leader. It will give you a felt sense of what is going on now in Iran. It will be gone after tonight, so if you can check it out.  Music is amazing as well.Ready to get involved in March 28th No-Kings 3 Day?  For the Waterville Area event, sign up 

here. Go to the same link to sign up for demonstrations in other areas. If you are interested in being a march leader, contact Elizabeth at leonardelizabeth1957@gmail.com. (We are looking to have converging marches from different parts of town.)Support Patric Moore who is a Democrat running for State Senate in Maine District 16 by contributing to his clean election fund here  and supporting seed money for his election expenses here. Patric will be running against Republican Scott Cyrway who votes party line Republican.

Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. The Capital Area New Mainers Project is collecting furniture and kitchen supplies for families in our area. They are helping a family who lost everything in a house fire – you can contribute 

here to this fund. 

. To donate fill out the form here.

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.

Thursday, March 6th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUTThursday, February 26th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUT

First Saturday of Each Month: 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, March 8th : 1:00 (and every Sunday) Bridge on KMD by the CVS Waterville: Stop the Killing, (ICE, Venezuela, USAID closing, ACA extensions dropped, etc.)

Tuesday, March 10th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) 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, March 11th: (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.  For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at mailto:recordconnection@gmail.com 

SOLIDARITY*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“War. What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing”  Edwin Starr – listen to his song 

here.

Good Morning Folks, middle of the week. Primaries yesterday mostly positive – huge democratic turnout. This is the momentum we need to begin turning things around. Lots of action in the Maine legislature to support!

Top Action to Take Today: Let’s focus on Maine bills today long as you have contacted your Congress folks to vote in favor of the War Powers Act – which will get legislators on the record for their support or opposition to this war on Iran.    Call or write your local state rep and senator to: support 

LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations, Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it; Also ask them to support the Wabanaki Alliance bills  LD 395 + 785 which would help establish Wabanaki sovereignty. More important Maine bills on child care and taxes below.    If you haven’t yet, please contact your Congress folk to ask them to support an immediate vote on a War Powers Resolution saying No War on Iran. If you wish, use the Indivisible website to make your 

call, and to write an email to them 

here.  (Focus on Collins if you only have time for one call.)

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

     Contact your Senators and Representative to support Representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, in his request for the missing DOJ files which include FBI interviews with a 13 year old, Epstein sex abuse victim, who claims Trump abused her in the early 80’s. This is a clear cover up of vital information that might incriminate Trump as a pedaphile. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here, more information from NPR is here.       Contact Senator King and thank him for standing firm on opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security. As recently as the end of January he has suggested separating funding for ICE + CBP from the other affected agencies such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. This is what the Democrats should put forward taking away all leverage from the Republicans on this issue. If the R’s vote against separating the funding they own the effects of the shutdown! (ICE has 75 billion dollars to continue operating regardless of this year’s appropriations.) Thank you Karen for suggesting this action!Contact Senator King  to vote NO on the SAVE act HR 7296 (narrowly passed the house this week) – , and let Susan Collins know that we oppose her support for this act. The new SAVE Act adds new requirements that voters present a proof of citizenship both when registering to vote and when casting a ballot – 5calls.org has more on this.   While you are at it, let them know  to vote No on the MEGA Act, HR 7300 both of which are voter suppression efforts. .  “Make Elections Great Again” (MEGA) would ban mail in ballots, limit absentee voting Go to 5calls.org for more information and a script for this call/contact.  
Maine Related Actions    From the Maine People’s Alliance: There are several bills in the Maine Legislature that would raise the taxes on the super-rich and profitable corporations to help pay for the cuts in Federal spending for basic needs in Maine, These bills includeLD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. Go here to write a letter to our legislative leaders. (MPA has the text for the letter, and you can personalize it.)Contact your state representative and senator to support the bills to restore Wabanaki Sovereignty:   These two bills were heard in front of the Judiciary Committee, and there has not been a report out of the Committee so far. Ask your reps to contact their friends on the Judiciary Committee to support these two bills.

LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”, would amend the law to allow the Wabanaki tribes (and the Mi’kmaq Nation) to benefit from existing and future federal laws that already apply to the 570-plus other federally recognized tribes. Get a copy of the bill here.

LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”, which would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern under the same federal laws that apply to tribes elsewhere in the United States. Get a copy of the bill here.

Together, these two acts would put the Wabanaki Nations on equal footing with most, if not all, of the other Native American tribes in our country. Go here for a toolkit from the Wabanaki Alliance on taking action on these bills. 

From the Maine League of Women Voters: here’s your annual reminder to check for Clean Elections on your tax return. Learn more here.  On the Maine Income Tax Form, Line 1, check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. If you’re using tax assistance software to file your taxes, like TurboTax, it may prompt you with the Clean Elections question automatically, making it even easier to check yes! Checking yes on the form does not impact your tax bill or refund in any way. Child care is a huge issue for working parents in Maine.  Contact your local Representative and Senator and ask them to support: LD 1955 will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff.

LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families.  To use the MPA’s Action Network to write a letter to your Rep and Senator on these supports for childcare in Maine go here. Remember Quality Child Care for all is great for the economy!!!!

Epstein Files Related Actions

Latest Revelation – The FBI interviewed an underage accuser of Donald Trump several times, and the files for these interviews have “gone missing”. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here. Ask our Congressional Representatives to demand that the missing files get restored by the Department of Justice.

To support Sexual Abuse Survivors:

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a billthat would  remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice,  would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with not expiration date. More details on this law here. 

Contact Congressional Representatives to have ALL of the Epstein Files Released and 

Support S. 2746, the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act:

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee (that oversees US banking) has been demanding access to Epstein’s finances. To this end, he introduced S. 2746 (the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act), which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to produce suspicious activity reports relating to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

 More on this at Democracy Now  

 For a script and more information go to 5calls.org. So far not a single perpetrator named in these files has been prosecuted. Call Senators King and Collins to urge them to cosponsor S. 2746 and to support the bill with members of the Senate Finance committee where the bill resides currently.

ICE related Actions    Call or write Senator King and Collins and ask them to vote against funding ICE and CBP in the appropriations bill that is currently waiting for approval – 60 votes needed. More details on this at 5calls.org.     There is a move afoot to tax corporations who wish to build ICE prison camps in Maine at a higher level than regular corporate tax to offset the demands on local resources. Along with simply disallowing these camps through local zoning action and public outcry, cutting into the profit margin of these businesses is another way to dissuade them from trying to settle in Maine. ICE has 45 billion dollars to build/rent/purchase prison camp facilities – see a full report on this 

here from the Brennan Center.
Contact our Congressional Representatives to: Claw back the 175 BILLION dollar slush fund that was approved in the “OBBA”(The Budget Bill Passed this Summer), for Immigration enforcement actions over the next four years. Collins + King both voted in favor of the Sanders Amendment which clawed back 75 Billion from ICE and CBP. Thank them for this, and then ask them to clawback this funding, and defund ICE and CBP until they meet standards of conduct for police professionals. For more information and a script go to 5calls.org for defunding ICE, and here for the 175 Billion Dollar Clawback. Call/email your local Representative and Senator to support, LD 2106 “An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review” to make sure ICE can’t enter private spaces in hospitals, schools, and childcare centers (learn more here ).  MPA has an ACTION TOOLKIT on this bill here.  You can still submit testimony on this bill here. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov. “Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.

”The Maine Immigrant’s  Rights Coalition has set up a resource hub on responding to ICE.  If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine:207 544 9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

There are now 140 co-sponsors of a bill to impeach Kristi Noem, Head of the Department of Homeland Security, ask Pingree and Golden to cosponsor! 

Activate Maine has an ICE toolkit including links to sign up for ICE verifier and de escalation trainings.If you want to get more involved check out 

this training manual for becoming an ICE verifier.

The Maine ACLU has a page on being prepared for ICE actions in Maine: go here. 

Other resist ICE resources: Resources from the Democracy Security Project:  Printable De-Escalation Pocket Guide  Printable Protest Pocket Guide       Other DSP Resources Finally, consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: 

 Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project. Environmental Actions

LD 1870, the climate superfund bill was passed out of committee!  Next it’s headed to the Senate for a vote.  If you support this important legislation, please continue to contact your legislators about LD 1870 and urge them to Make Polluters Pay!   To learn NRCM’s priority bills for this short session,check their YouTube channel  Check out  https://www.nrcm.org/events/  (thank you Linda for this info.)

Keep glyphosate out of our food supply: 

 Contact Representative Jared Golden and urge him to cosponsor HR 7601 to protect us from glyphosate poisoning by corporations who have no interest in our health or well-being. On February 20th, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) introduced HR 7601, the “No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.” Co-sponsors so far are Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). This legislation would prohibit federal funds from implementing the Executive Order Trump issued recently expanding the production of Glyphosphate and Phosphorous under the Defense Production act,  and it would affirm that glyphosate manufacturers are not immune from civil liability under federal or state law. (Thank you Shelly for this one)

ACA Related Actions

Call/write Senators King and Collins to support extending the ACA tax credits as the House did on January 8th.  The House’s version is a “clean” extension with no amendments.  The Maine People’s Alliance makes this really easy, go here. If you wish to write your own note or call, our Senator’s  contact information is below in the Contact Information part of this email. For more information go to 5calls.org. For a full toolkit on how to support this action  go here. This bill passed in the house!!Boycott: Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy.   For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ a new website that lists and explains all the corporations that are directly enabling the Trump administration’s nasty policies and/or helping ICE and CBP: (Thanks Shelly for this link)  Another resource on Boycotting – Scott Galloway’s podcast – Raging Moderates, discusses boycotting TechBro products at about 14:30 into the podcast, go here. (thank you Wendilee for this)

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.”   Activate Maine also has a Mutual Aid page with lots of resources.

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. 

Insurance Crisis:  The ACA cuts are in the Senate to be voted on. Please contact Esther at the Maine People’s Alliance who is collecting personal testimony to support the passage of the ACA tax cuts. 

ICE Related Mutual Aid: Both documented and undocumented immigrants are staying home in Maine, scared to leave the house to go shopping, bring their children to school, go to Dr’s appointments etc. You can help go here to find out how.

Arts and Politics!

If you live near Skowhegan check out Kevin James Studios at 127 Water Street for a whole gallery of resistance art!  (Let me know if you know of other art galleries showing political art and I will list them here.)

Research!

Learn more about Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – go to one or more of these links: Wikipedia:    BBCHarvard:

The Resource Alliance . (Thank you Beth for these links!) Get connected to Govtrack.US for daily information on what’s going on in Congress in terms of bills and votes.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

State Wide Actions

• See Maine Related Actions Above
• LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations has been tabled by the Committee on State and Local Government due to claims that it is anti-semitic, despite support from Jewish action groups. This committee is now intent on letting the bill die in committee. Call your state Senator and Representative to support this bill. Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it.
• Calendar March 28th for the next NO KINGS national mobilization
• If you know a teacher who is interested in an engaged and experiential way to teach civics, send them the flyer attached to this email.  The Maine Civics Network is offering two workshops this Spring to support teachers working on Digital Literacy with their students.
• 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.

Find Your State Senator: By name:

Here , By district: Here

Find your State Representative: By name: Here , By District:Here

For Maine State Legislative Calendar day by day go  here     For links to US Legislative Calendars go here

Check complete bill listing  here.          Find the text of any bill here  Instructions for testifying are here 

LOCAL ACTIONS: “The President’s Cake” is an amazing and prescient movie at the Maine Film Center about Iraq at the beginning of the war against Saddam Hussein. The protagonist is a 12 year old girl who has to bake a cake for the leader. It will give you a felt sense of what is going on now in Iran. It will be gone soon, so if you can check it out.  Music is amazing as well.Ready to get involved in March 28th No-Kings 3 Day?  For the Waterville Area event, sign up 

here. Go to the same link to sign up for demonstrations in other areas. If you are interested in being a march leader, contact Elizabeth at leonardelizabeth1957@gmail.com. (We are looking to have converging marches from different parts of town.)Support Patric Moore who is a Democrat running for State Senate in Maine District 16 by contributing to his clean election fund here  and supporting seed money for his election expenses here. Patric will be running against Republican Scott Cyrway who votes party line Republican.

Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. The Capital Area New Mainers Project is collecting furniture and kitchen supplies for families in our area. They are helping a family who lost everything in a house fire – you can contribute 

here to this fund. 

. To donate fill out the form here.

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.

Wednesday, March 5th: (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.  For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at mailto:recordconnection@gmail.com 

Thursday, March 6th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUTThursday, February 26th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUT

First Saturday of Each Month: 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, March 8th : 1:00 (and every Sunday) Bridge on KMD by the CVS Waterville: Stop the Killing, (ICE, Venezuela, USAID closing, ACA extensions dropped, etc.)

Tuesday, March 3d: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) 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*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

“This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government…We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”  President Dwight D. Eisenhower from his speech on the military industrial complex.

I want to take a slightly different approach in today’s newsletter – I want to hear from you! Now more than ever, it’s important to stay informed and involved. Building community and strengthening our support networks will be critical to making it through the Trump regime and whatever may be on the other side of it.

I want to make sure you stay informed and motivated to take action — and to do that, I want to get a sense of what our community finds most important. What type of news is most relevant to your interests? What kind of actions are most important to you?

Please take a moment to leave your feedback here so I can make sure we’re covering what matters most to you!

We have some new upcoming events to check out. A group of local activists are celebrating International Women’s Day by hosting a vigil in Orono on Sunday! Food AND Medicine is having their 2026 membership campaign from March 3rd to April 3rd. If you are interested in helping, please submit a response here. If you would like to join FAM, you can do so on their website! There are also a couple of new ICE know-your-rights trainings coming up — details below.

…And don’t forget! Check out details for the Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall and register to come and have YOUR voice be heard! We hope to see you there!

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• Feedback Polls
• NEWS
  • Trump, Rubio offer conflicting reasons for US entry into Iran war
  • Developer wants to build underwater AI data center Down East
  • Susan Collins supports “Save America Act”
• LEGISLATION
  • Maine
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Healthcare
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Tribal Sovereignty
  • Federal
• ACTIONS
  • Event: Attend an event!
  • Petition: Sign “A Winning Democratic Strategy” Petition
  • Contact: Oppose the SAVE Act, MEGA Act, and Save America Act
  • Letter: Tax the wealthy to fund programs for Mainers!
  • Letter: Support childcare funding
  • Contact: Support Sexual Abuse Survivors
  • Letter: Write a letter to the editor
  • Contact: Call or email your legislators
  • Boycott: Pressure companies to stop working with ICE
  • Donate: Give to a food bank
• EVENTS
  • Weekly Events
    • Indivisible Bangor Meeting
    • Vigils in the Bangor Area
    • Bangor Visibility Brigade
    • Virtual Events
  • Monthly Events
    • Check back for new monthly events!
  • Trainings
    • ICE Watch Verifier Training
    • Talking to businesses about what to do if ICE shows up
    • Digital Privacy Training For Protestors & Activists
  • Future Events
    • Singing Our Solidarity
    • International Women’s Day March
    • NO KINGS PROTEST
    • Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall
• RESOURCES
  • Friends of Indivisible Bangor
  • ICE In Maine
  • Legislator Contact Info

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Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? Help organize events like rallies and visibility actions? Or do you just want to keep up with what we’re doing? Sign up to volunteer with Indivisible Bangor — your level of involvement is up to you!

Weekly member meetings are on Zoom, with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. As always, check out our Bluesky and Instagram for the latest info.

• Bluesky
• Instagram
• Facebook

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Feedback Polls

If there you didn’t see an option you want, or if there is other feedback you would like to share, please send a message!

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NEWS

Trump, Rubio offer conflicting reasons for US entry into Iran war

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he ordered U.S. forces to join Israel’s attack ​on Iran because he believed Iran was about to strike first, contradicting the rationale offered a day earlier by his secretary of state for how the ‌war began.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the U.S. launched the attack because of fears that Iran would retaliate in response to planned Israeli action against Tehran.

Read the entire article here.

Developer wants to build underwater AI data center Down East

A new tidal power project is being proposed off Eastport, but whether the developer has the technical expertise and financial backing to proceed with the proposal is not clear. Along with planning to provide electricity to local communities, the company, DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC, is seeking to power underwater artificial intelligence-computer server racks.

Read’s full article here.

Susan Collins supports “Save America Act”

Despite Mainers voting overwhelmingly to reject the voter suppression measures list in Question 1 last November, Senator Collins has decided that she supports even stricter voter suppression measures.The bill recently passed in the House and will be up for vote in the Senate soon. From Bangor Daily News:

Trump has framed the bill as a national voter ID push, although it is slightly different than that. Democrats have argued it could still bar millions of people from voting, with the liberal Brennan Center for Justice saying 21 million Americans lack ready access to the documents that would be required to prove citizenship. Noncitizens are barred from voting in federal elections.

Read the entire article here.

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LEGISLATION

This is a list of important bills to keep an eye on. Click on the bill number to get more details. Please take some time and contact your legislators with your opinions!

• Check complete bill listing here: https://legislature.maine.gov/Calendar/#PHWS.  Set the date range in the upper left corner.  This listing also shows work sessions if you want to weigh in on any of those.
• Find the text of any bill here: https://legislature.maine.gov Or click through on the calendar, on the bill number, which is a link.  Then read the pdf or the word version (link in upper left area).  Form your own opinions!
• Instructions for testifying are here:  https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/

If you know of other important legislation, please let us know and we’ll add it to the list!

Maine

Economy

LD 229: An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates

LD 1879: An Act to Support Maine’s Agricultural Economy by Increasing Revenue from the Corporate Income Tax

Education

LD 1089: An Act to Permanently Fund 55 Percent of the State’s Share of Education by Establishing a Tax on Incomes of More than $1,000,000

LD 1414: An Act to Support and Sustain Maine’s Child Care Workforce

LD 1955: An Act to Increase Child Care Affordability and Early Childhood Educator Stability

LD 2066: An Act to Establish the Child Care Employment Award

LD 2175: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, State Board of Education

LD 2192: An Act to Protect Students by Ensuring Schools Have Complete Information About School Employees and Applicants for Employment

Environment

LD 276: An Act Regarding Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

LD 474: An Act to Improve Maine’s Environment and Protect Natural Resources

LD 1870: An Act to Establish a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to Impose Penalties on Climate Polluters

LD 2174: An Act to Replace the Maine Waterway Development and Conservation Act with the Maine Renewable Energy and Associated Transmission Development and Conservation Act

Healthcare

LD 2206: An Act Expanding Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New Path for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry

LD 2208: An Act to Offset Federal Cuts to Health Insurance for Certain Maine Families and Seniors

LD 2209: Resolve, to Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to Develop Innovative Models for the Delivery of Dental Services to Expand Access to Oral Health Care Throughout the State

Human Rights

LD 1383: An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations

LD 335: An Act to Safeguard Reproductive Rights

Immigration

LD 2106: An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review

Tribal Sovereignty

LD 395: An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations

LD 785: An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act

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Federal

H.R.22: SAVE Act

H.R.7300: Make Elections Great Again Act

H.R.7296: SAVE America Act

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ACTIONS

Event: Attend an event!

Events are easy to attend and only require a small amount of time investment – some you can even attend from the comfort of your own couch! Take a look at the upcoming events below and register.

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Petition: Sign “A Winning Democratic Strategy” Petition

This petition lists a number of items that Democrats should pledge to do.

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Contact: Oppose the SAVE Act, MEGA Act, and Save America Act

Take action on the SAVE Act, the MEGA Act, and the Save America Act. These anti-democratic bills could be fast-tracked through Congress, with the Save America Act passed in the U.S. House last week (SAVE Act passed in the House last year). These laws would require voters to prove their citizenship by showing a passport or birth certificate in order to register to vote — a requirement that would disenfranchise millions of voters. According to the Brennan Center, “21 million American citizens don’t have these documents readily available.”

This bill would especially burden military voters, tribal voters, rural voters, and survivors of natural disasters. Plus, are you someone who’s married and changed your name? Or just someone who’s changed your name? You, too, could be affected. This could also affect Mainers living near the border who might have been born at a Canadian hospital to U.S. parents. 

The MEGA Act would prohibit the use of mail-in voting (like absentee voting) and Ranked Choice Voting. The bill promotes voter roll purges and criminalizes clerical errors by election workers. It’s a package of terrible ideas built upon false, debunked theories that our elections are not secure. Maine has the right to conduct our elections, which are already fair, transparent, and accessible. Let’s reject this federal intervention.

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Letter: Tax the wealthy to fund programs for Mainers!

The state legislature is starting its budget process – where the rubber hits the road in terms of what our state really values. Here’s what your legislators need to hear from you:

• DON’T conform to the Trump administration’s corporate tax giveaways, as the right is pressuring them to do
• Support bills in the legislature, like LD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. These could pass as bills, or end up in the budget – either way, legislators should fight for them!

This action is sponsored by our friends over at Maine People’s Alliance.

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Letter: Support childcare funding

Next week, our legislators will be considering a number of bills that will make Maine’s childcare system stronger.

This includes LD 1955, which will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program. This will provide immediate relief to children and families who are currently on waitlists, while also ensuring future families can access affordable childcare without delays as they work, pursue education, or engage in job training.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff. And lastly, LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families—making it easier for providers to offer affordable care for the youngest kids.

This action is sponsored by our friends over at Maine People’s Alliance.

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Contact: Support Sexual Abuse Survivors

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a bill that would remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice, would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with no expiration date. Given the horrendous treatment survivors have gotten through the unredacted release of their names in the current Epstein Files release, this is a small step Congress can take to redress the harm done.

More details on this in the Guardian.

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Letter: Write a letter to the editor

Letters to the editor are published regularly in the local newspapers from Mainers who support the brutal tactics of the authoritarian Trump regime. Write a letter to set the record straight. Click the button to go to the Bangor Daily News “Submit a letter or column” page, the Portland Press Herald “Letters to the editor” page, and the “Letter to the Editor” page at the Ellsworth American.

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Contact: Call or email your legislators

If you want an easy way to actually do something, check out 5calls.org. You enter your location, pick an issue you care about, and it gives you your representatives’ phone numbers and a script. That’s it. Calling your elected officials is one of the most effective forms of civic engagement there is!

If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.

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Boycott: Pressure companies to stop working with ICE

Vote with your wallet and boycott companies and services that work with ICE! Check out the full list here.

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Donate: Give to a food bank

Please DONATE to a local food pantry- food, personal items, and even cash.  Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.

ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!

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EVENTS

Weekly Events

Indivisible Bangor Meeting

5:00 pm Every Wednesday @ Zoom

Vigils in the Bangor Area

Tuesdays
11:00 am @ the Federal Building

Wednesdays
12:00-1:00 pm @ Orono town center – Details

Bangor Visibility Brigade

Fridays
3:30 pm @ Essex Street Overpass

Virtual Events

Thursdays
7:30 pm – League of Women Voters Youth Advocacy Team – Details

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Monthly Events

Check back for new monthly events!

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Trainings

ICE Watch Verifier Training

First Tuesday of the month

By signing up as an ICE Watch verifier, you’ll help verify reports of ICE operations in Maine and help create a safer environment for our neighbors.

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Talking to businesses about what to do if ICE shows up

March 4, 2026 – Wednesday – 6:00 pm

As ICE agents continue to target Maine, federal agents are relying on people not being prepared in order to get away with unconstitutional searches. We need workplaces across Maine to be educated and organized so that unconstitutional searches don’t continue to work here. Join us to learn about how to talk to workplaces about steps they can take to make their workplaces safer from ICE raids. We will discuss how to find workplaces to talk to, what resources we should share, and what strategies they can utilize to minimize harm when federal agents show up. Sponsored by our friends over at Maine People’s Alliance.

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Digital Privacy Training For Protestors & Activists

March 10, 2026 – Tuesday – 6:00 pm

Future Events

Singing Our Solidarity

March 7, 2026 – Saturday – 3:00 pm

The Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine along with co-
sponsors Indivisible Bangor, Pax Christi Maine, Faith Linking in
Action, and Food and Medicine is pleased to invite the community
to join us as we sing together and support our neighbors and
communities impacted by ICE raids and detention in Maine.

Music leadership by Women With Wings, by Judd Esty-Kendall,
and by others. Songs will be easy to learn and joyful to share.
The community is invited to raise our voice of concern, hope, and
love together in shared music. The event is hosted by St John’s
Episcopal Church.

No music/singing experience needed.

Donations will be collected to support the Maine Solidarity Fund.
The fund is an initiative of the People’s Coalition for Safety and
Justice, a collective of frontline organizations, cultural anchors,
and direct service providers with deep ties to Maine’s immigrant,
and Trans communities.

Map and directions: https://stjohnsbangor.org/map-and-directions
For more information: (207) 862-3638

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International Women’s Day March

March 8, 2026 – Sunday – 12:00 pm

There will be a vigil for International Women’s Day in Orono on Sunday, March 8, from 12 to 1:00 pm. Organized by a local activist group in solidarity with the global international women’s day movement.

International Women’s Day is a global day of celebration marking the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for equal rights for all. The first International Women’s Day was organized by the Socialist Party of New York in 1909. Two years later the first international women’s day was celebrated by over a million people in Europe. Since then it has been recognized around the world.

On Sunday, March 8, we will gather in front of the University of Maine Credit Union (15 Main Street) and walk together across the Stillwater River Bridge. Please join us as we celebrate women’s achievements and commit ourselves to gender equality for all. Bring your family and appropriate signs and dress warmly.

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NO KINGS PROTEST

March 28, 2026 – Saturday

In 2025, millions of Americans came together in nonviolent protest to oppose the growing authoritarian actions of the Trump administration and affirm that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings. Since then, people have continued to rise up nonviolently against the Trump administration’s ongoing brutality and abuses of power, including the latest escalation in Minnesota. The No Kings Coalition is activating an immediate and ongoing nationwide digital organizing effort leading up to our next mass mobilization on March 28, including a flagship event in the Twin Cities.

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Susan Collins Empty Chair Town Hall

March 30, 2026 – Monday – 6:00 pm

Susan Collins hasn’t held a Town Hall in over 25 years. She is supposed to represent Mainers, yet refuses to face her constituents. That’s why Indivisible Bangor, alongside many other co-sponsors, is holding one for her. Enough is enough – it’s time YOUR voices are heard. We’ve invited Senator Collins to attend twice, but we’ve received no response.

All are welcome to attend to speak or listen. Those that wish to speak will have two minutes to do so.

Doors will open at 5:30pm and the Town Hall will take place from 6pm-8pm. Space is limited so all are encouraged to arrive early.

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RESOURCES

Friends of Indivisible Bangor

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ICE In Maine

Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov.

“Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.”

The ICE resources that have been listed in previous newsletters can be found here.

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition has published a resource hub here.

ACLU Maine – Know Your Rights

If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: (207) 544-9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

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Legislator Contact Info

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

Good Morning Folks, it’s Tuesday and I’m up a little earlier than usual. With a bombing war raging in the Middle East, I keep thinking of Gil Scott Heron’s  “Work For Peace”, a cogent analysis of the roots of war in music and verse. Called King’s office yesterday and he’s for the War Powers Act, Against funding ICE without major changes, and against the SAVE act. 3 for 3. Let’s keep calling him on these, thanking him, and asking him to stay strong.

Top Action to Take Today: If you haven’t yet, please contact your Congress folk to ask them to support an immediate vote on a War Powers Resolution saying No War on Iran. If you wish, use the Indivisible website to make your 

call, and to write an email to them 

here.  Let’s have a vote on this so America knows where each of their representatives stand on this issue. The American public has no interest in another forever war in the Middle East. For some thoughts as to why now check out Rachel Maddow’s explanation here. And Ruth Ben Ghiat’s Holy War explanation here. (Focus on Collins if you only have time for one call.)

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

    If you’re inclined to help with lobbying at the State House today is Wabanaki Lobbying Day!  The day begins at the Cross Building Room 216 at 8:00 AM. Learn about the priority bills and hear from movement leaders. Afterwards, there will be time to meet directly with legislators and ask them to support the following key bills. Learn more + RSVP here. The Bills being discussed, LD 395 + 785 are detailed below under Maine Related Actions.    Contact your Senators and Representative to support Representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, in his request for the missing DOJ files which include FBI interviews with a 13 year old, Epstein sex abuse victim, who claims Trump abused her in the early 80’s. This is a clear cover up of vital information that might incriminate Trump as a pedaphile. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here, more information from NPR is here.       Contact Senator King and thank him for standing firm on opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security. As recently as the end of January he has suggested separating funding for ICE + CBP from the other affected agencies such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. This is what the Democrats should put forward taking away all leverage from the Republicans on this issue. If the R’s vote against separating the funding they own the effects of the shutdown! (ICE has 75 billion dollars to continue operating regardless of this year’s appropriations.) Thank you Karen for suggesting this action!Contact Senator King  to vote NO on the SAVE act HR 7296 (narrowly passed the house this week) – , and let Susan Collins know that we oppose her support for this act. The new SAVE Act adds new requirements that voters present a proof of citizenship both when registering to vote and when casting a ballot – 5calls.org has more on this.   While you are at it, let them know  to vote No on the MEGA Act, HR 7300 both of which are voter suppression efforts. .  “Make Elections Great Again” (MEGA) would ban mail in ballots, limit absentee voting Go to 5calls.org for more information and a script for this call/contact.  
Maine Related Actions    From the Maine People’s Alliance: There are several bills in the Maine Legislature that would raise the taxes on the super-rich and profitable corporations to help pay for the cuts in Federal spending for basic needs in Maine, These bills includeLD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. Go here to write a letter to our legislative leaders. (MPA has the text for the letter, and you can personalize it.)Contact your state representative and senator to support the bills to restore Wabanaki Sovereignty:   These two bills were heard in front of the Judiciary Committee, and there has not been a report out of the Committee so far. Ask your reps to contact their friends on the Judiciary Committee to support these two bills.

LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”, would amend the law to allow the Wabanaki tribes (and the Mi’kmaq Nation) to benefit from existing and future federal laws that already apply to the 570-plus other federally recognized tribes. Get a copy of the bill here.

LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”, which would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern under the same federal laws that apply to tribes elsewhere in the United States. Get a copy of the bill here.

Together, these two acts would put the Wabanaki Nations on equal footing with most, if not all, of the other Native American tribes in our country. Go here for a toolkit from the Wabanaki Alliance on taking action on these bills. 

From the Maine League of Women Voters: here’s your annual reminder to check for Clean Elections on your tax return. It’s quick and easy and helps to finance the election campaigns of qualifying Clean Election candidates. Clean Elections allow candidates to focus on the voters, not wealthy donors. Learn more here.  On the Maine Income Tax Form, Line 1, check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. If you’re using tax assistance software to file your taxes, like TurboTax, it may prompt you with the Clean Elections question automatically, making it even easier to check yes! Checking yes on the form does not impact your tax bill or refund in any way. Child care is a huge issue for working parents in Maine.  Contact your local Representative and Senator and ask them to support: LD 1955 will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff.

LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families.To use the MPA’s Action Network to write a letter to your Rep and Senator on these supports for childcare in Maine go here. Remember Quality Child Care for all is great for the economy!!!!

Epstein Files Related Actions

Latest Revelation – The FBI interviewed an underage accuser of Donald Trump several times, and the files for these interviews have “gone missing”. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here. Ask our Congressional Representatives to demand that the missing files get restored by the Department of Justice.

To support Sexual Abuse Survivors:

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a billthat would  remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice,  would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with not expiration date. More details on this law here. 

Contact Congressional Representatives to have ALL of the Epstein Files Released and 

Support S. 2746, the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act:

Congressman Rho Khanna has demanded that Epstein’s associates named in these files be investigated by Congress, even though Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General + former personal Trump lawyer, has said that the case is over, and “it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.” In this most recent release, the DOJ did not redact the name of many survivors and allowed nude pictures of them to be included.  This is beyond disgusting. More on this at Democracy Now

 For a script and more information go to 5calls.org. So far not a single perpetrator named in these files has been prosecuted.Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee (that oversees US banking) has been demanding access to Epstein’s finances. To this end, he introduced S. 2746 (the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act), which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to produce suspicious activity reports relating to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Republicans are currently blocking this bill. Call Senators King and Collins to urge them to cosponsor S. 2746 and to support the bill with members of the Senate Finance committee where the bill resides currently.

ICE related Actions    Call or write Senator King and Collins and ask them to vote against funding ICE and CBP in the appropriations bill that is currently waiting for approval – 60 votes needed. More details on this at 5calls.org.     There is a move afoot to tax corporations who wish to build ICE prison camps in Maine at a higher level than regular corporate tax to offset the demands on local resources. Along with simply disallowing these camps through local zoning action and public outcry, cutting into the profit margin of these businesses is another way to dissuade them from trying to settle in Maine. ICE has 45 billion dollars to build/rent/purchase prison camp facilities – see a full report on this 

here from the Brennan Center.
Contact our Congressional Representatives to: Claw back the 175 BILLION dollar slush fund that was approved in the “OBBA”(The Budget Bill Passed this Summer), for Immigration enforcement actions over the next four years. Collins + King both voted in favor of the Sanders Amendment which clawed back 75 Billion from ICE and CBP. Thank them for this, and then ask them to clawback this funding, and defund ICE and CBP until they meet standards of conduct for police professionals. For more information and a script go to 5calls.org for defunding ICE, and here for the 175 Billion Dollar Clawback. Call/email your local Representative and Senator to support, LD 2106 “An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review” to make sure ICE can’t enter private spaces in hospitals, schools, and childcare centers (learn more here ).  MPA has an ACTION TOOLKIT on this bill here.  You can still submit testimony on this bill here. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov. “Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.

”The Maine Immigrant’s  Rights Coalition has set up a resource hub on responding to ICE.  If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine:207 544 9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

There are now 140 co-sponsors of a bill to impeach Kristi Noem, Head of the Department of Homeland Security, ask Pingree and Golden to cosponsor! 

Activate Maine has an ICE toolkit including links to sign up for ICE verifier and de escalation trainings.If you want to get more involved check out 

this training manual for becoming an ICE verifier.

The Maine ACLU has a page on being prepared for ICE actions in Maine: go here. 

Other resist ICE resources: Resources from the Democracy Security Project:  Printable De-Escalation Pocket Guide  Printable Protest Pocket Guide       Other DSP Resources Finally, consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: 

 Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project. Environmental Actions

LD 1870, the climate superfund bill was passed out of committee!  Next it’s headed to the Senate for a vote.  If you support this important legislation, please continue to contact your legislators about LD 1870 and urge them to Make Polluters Pay!   To learn NRCM’s priority bills for this short session,check their YouTube channel  Check out  https://www.nrcm.org/events/  (thank you Linda for this info.)

Keep glyphosate out of our food supply: 

 Contact Representative Jared Golden and urge him to cosponsor HR 7601 to protect us from glyphosate poisoning by corporations who have no interest in our health or well-being. On February 20th, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) introduced HR 7601, the “No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.” Co-sponsors so far are Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). This legislation would prohibit federal funds from implementing the Executive Order Trump issued recently expanding the production of Glyphosphate and Phosphorous under the Defense Production act,  and it would affirm that glyphosate manufacturers are not immune from civil liability under federal or state law. (Thank you Shelly for this one)

ACA Related Actions

Call/write Senators King and Collins to support extending the ACA tax credits as the House did on January 8th.  The House’s version is a “clean” extension with no amendments.  The Maine People’s Alliance makes this really easy, go here. If you wish to write your own note or call, our Senator’s  contact information is below in the Contact Information part of this email. For more information go to 5calls.org. For a full toolkit on how to support this action  go here. This bill passed in the house!!Boycott: Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy.   For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ a new website that lists and explains all the corporations that are directly enabling the Trump administration’s nasty policies and/or helping ICE and CBP: (Thanks Shelly for this link)  Another resource on Boycotting – Scott Galloway’s podcast – Raging Moderates, discusses boycotting TechBro products at about 14:30 into the podcast, go here. (thank you Wendilee for this)

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.”   Activate Maine also has a Mutual Aid page with lots of resources.

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. 

Insurance Crisis:  The ACA cuts are in the Senate to be voted on. Please contact Esther at the Maine People’s Alliance who is collecting personal testimony to support the passage of the ACA tax cuts. 

ICE Related Mutual Aid: Both documented and undocumented immigrants are staying home in Maine, scared to leave the house to go shopping, bring their children to school, go to Dr’s appointments etc. You can help go here to find out how.

Arts and Politics!

If you live near Skowhegan check out Kevin James Studios at 127 Water Street for a whole gallery of resistance art!  (Let me know if you know of other art galleries showing political art and I will list them here.)

Research!

Learn more about Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – go to one or more of these links: Wikipedia:    BBCHarvard:

The Resource Alliance . (Thank you Beth for these links!) Get connected to Govtrack.US for daily information on what’s going on in Congress in terms of bills and votes.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

State Wide Actions

• See Maine Related Actions Above
• LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations has been tabled by the Committee on State and Local Government due to claims that it is anti-semitic, despite support from Jewish action groups. This committee is now intent on letting the bill die in committee. Call your state Senator and Representative to support this bill. Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it.
• Calendar March 28th for the next NO KINGS national mobilization
• If you know a teacher who is interested in an engaged and experiential way to teach civics, send them the flyer attached to this email.  The Maine Civics Network is offering two workshops this Spring to support teachers working on Digital Literacy with their students.
• 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.

Find Your State Senator: By name:

Here , By district: Here

Find your State Representative: By name: Here , By District:Here

For Maine State Legislative Calendar day by day go  here     For links to US Legislative Calendars go here

Check complete bill listing  here.          Find the text of any bill here  Instructions for testifying are here 

LOCAL ACTIONS: “The President’s Cake” is an amazing and prescient movie at the Maine Film Center about Iraq at the beginning of the war against Saddam Hussein. The protagonist is a 12 year old girl who has to bake a cake for the leader. It will give you a felt sense of what is going on now in Iran. It will be gone soon, so if you can check it out.  Music is amazing as well.Ready to get involved in March 28th No-Kings 3 Day?  For the Waterville Area event, sign up 

here. Go to the same link to sign up for demonstrations in other areas. If you are interested in being a march leader, contact Elizabeth at leonardelizabeth1957@gmail.com. (We are looking to have converging marches from different parts of town.)Support Patric Moore who is a Democrat running for State Senate in Maine District 16 by contributing to his clean election fund here  and supporting seed money for his election expenses here. Patric will be running against Republican Scott Cyrway who votes party line Republican.

Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. The Capital Area New Mainers Project is collecting furniture and kitchen supplies for families in our area. They are helping a family who lost everything in a house fire – you can contribute 

here to this fund. 

. To donate fill out the form here.

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.

Tuesday, March 3d: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) 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, March 5th: (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.  For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at mailto:recordconnection@gmail.com 

Thursday, March 6th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUTThursday, February 26th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUT

First Saturday of Each Month: 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, March 8th : 1:00 (and every Sunday) Bridge on KMD by the CVS Waterville: Stop the Killing, (ICE, Venezuela, USAID closing, ACA extensions dropped, etc.)

SOLIDARITY*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

“Yes, my sin — my greater sin and even my greatest sin is that I nationalized Iran’s oil industry and discarded the system of political and economic exploitation by the world’s greatest empire. This at the cost to myself, my family; and at the risk of losing my life, my honor and my property.”  Mohammad Mosaddegh (Removed from Presidency of Iran in 1953 by the CIA and British Intelligence)

Good Morning Folks, it’s March and the sun is up as I write this email!! So now we are in a war in the Middle East without Congressional approval, without a comprehensible rationale for why now, and of course with multiple back stories. Some have suggested a name change from”Operation Epic Fury” to “Operation Epstein Fury”.  It’s always mud season in the Trump White House.

Top Action to Take Today: Contact your Congress folk to ask them to support an immediate vote on a War Powers Resolution saying No War on Iran. If you wish, use the Indivisible website to make your 

call, and to write an email to them 

here.  Let’s have a vote on this so America knows where each of their representatives stand on this issue. The American public has no interest in another forever war in the Middle East. For some thoughts as to why now check out Rachel Maddow’s explanation here. And Ruth Ben Ghiat’s Holy War explanation here.

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth
Contact your Senators and Representative to support Representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, in his request for the missing DOJ files which include FBI interviews with a 13 year old, Epstein sex abuse victim, who claims Trump abused her in the early 80’s. This is a clear cover up of vital information that might incriminate Trump as a pedaphile. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here, more information from NPR is here.       Contact Senator King and thank him for standing firm on opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security. As recently as the end of January he has suggested separating funding for ICE + CBP from the other affected agencies such as FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the TSA. This is what the Democrats should put forward taking away all leverage from the Republicans on this issue. If the R’s vote against separating the funding they own the effects of the shutdown! (ICE has 75 billion dollars to continue operating regardless of this year’s appropriations.) Thank you Karen for suggesting this action!Contact Senator King  to vote NO on the SAVE act HR 7296 (narrowly passed the house this week) – , and let Susan Collins know that we oppose her support for this act. The new SAVE Act adds new requirements that voters present a proof of citizenship both when registering to vote and when casting a ballot – 5calls.org has more on this.  This act will go into effect IMMEDIATELY upon Trump signing it, and will affect the 2026 mid-terms. (I believe it only applies to Federal elections.) While you are at it, let them know  to vote No on the MEGA Act, HR 7300 both of which are voter suppression efforts. .  “Make Elections Great Again” (MEGA) would ban mail in ballots, limit absentee voting Go to 5calls.org for more information and a script for this call/contact.  
Maine Related Actions    From the Maine People’s Alliance: There are several bills in the Maine Legislature that would raise the taxes on the super-rich and profitable corporations to help pay for the cuts in Federal spending for basic needs in Maine, These bills includeLD 1089, LD 229, and LD 1879, to raise taxes on individuals with incomes over $1 million, modernize our tax brackets so people who make $60,000 aren’t paying at the same tax rate as people who make $600,000, and make sure that our state collects taxes from massive corporate profits. Go here to write a letter to our legislative leaders. (MPA has the text for the letter, and you can personalize it.)Contact your state representative and senator to support the bills to restore Wabanaki Sovereignty:   These two bills were heard in front of the Judiciary Committee, and there has not been a report out of the Committee so far. Ask your reps to contact their friends on the Judiciary Committee to support these two bills.

LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”, would amend the law to allow the Wabanaki tribes (and the Mi’kmaq Nation) to benefit from existing and future federal laws that already apply to the 570-plus other federally recognized tribes. Get a copy of the bill here.

LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”, which would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern under the same federal laws that apply to tribes elsewhere in the United States. Get a copy of the bill here.

Together, these two acts would put the Wabanaki Nations on equal footing with most, if not all, of the other Native American tribes in our country. Go here for a toolkit from the Wabanaki Alliance on taking action on these bills. 

From the Maine League of Women Voters: here’s your annual reminder to check for Clean Elections on your tax return. It’s quick and easy and helps to finance the election campaigns of qualifying Clean Election candidates. Clean Elections allow candidates to focus on the voters, not wealthy donors. Learn more here.  On the Maine Income Tax Form, Line 1, check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. If you’re using tax assistance software to file your taxes, like TurboTax, it may prompt you with the Clean Elections question automatically, making it even easier to check yes! Checking yes on the form does not impact your tax bill or refund in any way. Child care is a huge issue for working parents in Maine.  Contact your local Representative and Senator and ask them to support: LD 1955 will provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Child Care Affordability Program.

LD 2066 will make the Child Care Affordability Program Educator Employment Award permanent. This will ensure that current employees at licensed childcare programs receive tuition support and will help to both recruit and retain qualified staff.

LD 1414 will increase infant and toddler payment rates through the Child Care Affordability Program for eligible families.To use the MPA’s Action Network to write a letter to your Rep and Senator on these supports for childcare in Maine go here. Remember Quality Child Care for all is great for the economy!!!!

Epstein Files Related Actions

Latest Revelation – The FBI interviewed an underage accuser of Donald Trump several times, and the files for these interviews have “gone missing”. The Daily Beast has a full article on this here. Ask our Congressional Representatives to demand that the missing files get restored by the Department of Justice.

To support Sexual Abuse Survivors:

Ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support “Virginia’s Law”, a billthat would  remove the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and trafficking. This law, named after Virginia Guiffre an Epstein abuse survivor and outspoken advocate for justice,  would empower survivors by giving them a legal means to seek justice with not expiration date. More details on this law here. 

Contact Congressional Representatives to have ALL of the Epstein Files Released and 

Support S. 2746, the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act:

Congressman Rho Khanna has demanded that Epstein’s associates named in these files be investigated by Congress, even though Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General + former personal Trump lawyer, has said that the case is over, and “it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.” In this most recent release, the DOJ did not redact the name of many survivors and allowed nude pictures of them to be included.  This is beyond disgusting. More on this at Democracy Now

 For a script and more information go to 5calls.org. So far not a single perpetrator named in these files has been prosecuted.Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee (that oversees US banking) has been demanding access to Epstein’s finances. To this end, he introduced S. 2746 (the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act), which would require the Secretary of the Treasury to produce suspicious activity reports relating to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Republicans are currently blocking this bill. Call Senators King and Collins to urge them to cosponsor S. 2746 and to support the bill with members of the Senate Finance committee where the bill resides currently.

ICE related Actions    Call or write Senator King and Collins and ask them to vote against funding ICE and CBP in the appropriations bill that is currently waiting for approval – 60 votes needed. More details on this at 5calls.org.     There is a move afoot to tax corporations who wish to build ICE prison camps in Maine at a higher level than regular corporate tax to offset the demands on local resources. Along with simply disallowing these camps through local zoning action and public outcry, cutting into the profit margin of these businesses is another way to dissuade them from trying to settle in Maine. ICE has 45 billion dollars to build/rent/purchase prison camp facilities – see a full report on this 

here from the Brennan Center.
Contact our Congressional Representatives to: Claw back the 175 BILLION dollar slush fund that was approved in the “OBBA”(The Budget Bill Passed this Summer), for Immigration enforcement actions over the next four years. Collins + King both voted in favor of the Sanders Amendment which clawed back 75 Billion from ICE and CBP. Thank them for this, and then ask them to clawback this funding, and defund ICE and CBP until they meet standards of conduct for police professionals. For more information and a script go to 5calls.org for defunding ICE, and here for the 175 Billion Dollar Clawback. Call/email your local Representative and Senator to support, LD 2106 “An Act to Prohibit the Disclosure of Nonpublic Records Without Proper Judicial Review” to make sure ICE can’t enter private spaces in hospitals, schools, and childcare centers (learn more here ).  MPA has an ACTION TOOLKIT on this bill here.  You can still submit testimony on this bill here. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey has started an ICE tip-line Citizens are urged to report intimidating and excessive federal enforcement behavior to CitizenReporting.OAG@maine.gov. “Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.

”The Maine Immigrant’s  Rights Coalition has set up a resource hub on responding to ICE.  If you see what you identify as an ICE vehicle in your town call the ICE Watch hotline in Maine:207 544 9989. You can also text them a photo of what you believe to be an ICE vehicle, or any ICE actions in your area.

There are now 140 co-sponsors of a bill to impeach Kristi Noem, Head of the Department of Homeland Security, ask Pingree and Golden to cosponsor! 

Activate Maine has an ICE toolkit including links to sign up for ICE verifier and de escalation trainings.If you want to get more involved check out 

this training manual for becoming an ICE verifier.

The Maine ACLU has a page on being prepared for ICE actions in Maine: go here. 

Other resist ICE resources: Resources from the Democracy Security Project:  Printable De-Escalation Pocket Guide  Printable Protest Pocket Guide       Other DSP Resources Finally, consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: 

 Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project. Environmental Actions

LD 1870, the climate superfund bill was passed out of committee!  Next it’s headed to the Senate for a vote.  If you support this important legislation, please continue to contact your legislators about LD 1870 and urge them to Make Polluters Pay!   To learn NRCM’s priority bills for this short session,check their YouTube channel  Check out  https://www.nrcm.org/events/  (thank you Linda for this info.)

Keep glyphosate out of our food supply: 

 Contact Representative Jared Golden and urge him to cosponsor HR 7601 to protect us from glyphosate poisoning by corporations who have no interest in our health or well-being. On February 20th, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) introduced HR 7601, the “No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.” Co-sponsors so far are Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17). This legislation would prohibit federal funds from implementing the Executive Order Trump issued recently expanding the production of Glyphosphate and Phosphorous under the Defense Production act,  and it would affirm that glyphosate manufacturers are not immune from civil liability under federal or state law. (Thank you Shelly for this one)

ACA Related Actions

Call/write Senators King and Collins to support extending the ACA tax credits as the House did on January 8th.  The House’s version is a “clean” extension with no amendments.  The Maine People’s Alliance makes this really easy, go here. If you wish to write your own note or call, our Senator’s  contact information is below in the Contact Information part of this email. For more information go to 5calls.org. For a full toolkit on how to support this action  go here. This bill passed in the house!!Boycott: Being a consumer is one of the greatest powers we have as members of a capitalist economy.   For a complete list of ICE related boycotts go to https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ a new website that lists and explains all the corporations that are directly enabling the Trump administration’s nasty policies and/or helping ICE and CBP: (Thanks Shelly for this link)  Another resource on Boycotting – Scott Galloway’s podcast – Raging Moderates, discusses boycotting TechBro products at about 14:30 into the podcast, go here. (thank you Wendilee for this)

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.”   Activate Maine also has a Mutual Aid page with lots of resources.

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. 

Insurance Crisis:  The ACA cuts are in the Senate to be voted on. Please contact Esther at the Maine People’s Alliance who is collecting personal testimony to support the passage of the ACA tax cuts. 

ICE Related Mutual Aid: Both documented and undocumented immigrants are staying home in Maine, scared to leave the house to go shopping, bring their children to school, go to Dr’s appointments etc. You can help go here to find out how.

Arts and Politics!

If you live near Skowhegan check out Kevin James Studios at 127 Water Street for a whole gallery of resistance art!  (Let me know if you know of other art galleries showing political art and I will list them here.)

Research!

Learn more about Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – go to one or more of these links: Wikipedia:    BBCHarvard:

The Resource Alliance . (Thank you Beth for these links!) Get connected to Govtrack.US for daily information on what’s going on in Congress in terms of bills and votes.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

State Wide Actions

• See Maine Related Actions Above
• LD 1383, An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations has been tabled by the Committee on State and Local Government due to claims that it is anti-semitic, despite support from Jewish action groups. This committee is now intent on letting the bill die in committee. Call your state Senator and Representative to support this bill. Go here for more information on this bill. Write a letter here to the State and Local Government Committee to pass this bill out of committee so the whole legislature can vote on it.
• Calendar March 28th for the next NO KINGS national mobilization
• If you know a teacher who is interested in an engaged and experiential way to teach civics, send them the flyer attached to this email.  The Maine Civics Network is offering two workshops this Spring to support teachers working on Digital Literacy with their students.
• 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.

Find Your State Senator: By name:

Here , By district: Here

Find your State Representative: By name: Here , By District:Here

For Maine State Legislative Calendar day by day go  here     For links to US Legislative Calendars go here

Check complete bill listing  here.          Find the text of any bill here  Instructions for testifying are here                                                                                   

LOCAL ACTIONS: Ready to get involved in March 28th No-Kings 3 Day?  For the Waterville Area event, sign up 

here. Go to the same link to sign up for demonstrations in other areas. If you are interested in being a march leader, contact Elizabeth at leonardelizabeth1957@gmail.com. (We are looking to have converging marches from different parts of town.)Support Patric Moore who is a Democrat running for State Senate in Maine District 16 by contributing to his clean election fund here  and supporting seed money for his election expenses here. Patric will be running against Republican Scott Cyrway who votes party line Republican.

Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. The Capital Area New Mainers Project is collecting furniture and kitchen supplies for families in our area. They are helping a family who lost everything in a house fire – you can contribute 

here to this fund. 

. To donate fill out the form here.

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.

Tuesday, March 3d: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) 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, March 5th: (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.  For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at mailto:recordconnection@gmail.com 

Thursday, March 6th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUTThursday, February 26th, (And Every Thursday) Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm:….stop the coup, support Democracy, ICE OUT

First Saturday of Each Month: 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, March 8th : 1:00 (and every Sunday) Bridge on KMD by the CVS Waterville: Stop the Killing, (ICE, Venezuela, USAID closing, ACA extensions dropped, etc.)

SOLIDARITY*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

“If my mind can conceive it, my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”  Jesse Jackson