Background: We’ve all received enough annoying phone calls to make us leery of placing calls ourselves. But, research shows, volunteer-led phone banks are effective in achieving the objective of turning out the vote. By contrast, some studies have found professional callers to be ineffective or even have a small negative effect on turnout. (1)
Polls are showing Referendum Question 1 is in the range of 1% margin voting NO, (the choice we want) and only 3% still undecided. The margin of error is 3% (2). For whatever reason, far too many people have been persuaded that “just showing a picture ID to vote” is a good idea, ignoring or unaware of the consequences for absentee voters embedded in the actual referendum, or the burdens of obtaining/maintaining the appropriate ID. This is not altogether surprising, if you have driven around the western and northern parts of Maine where the easily read, effective “yes on one – secure the vote” signs are all over the place.
So, it’s time to overcome our reluctance, and sign up as volunteers to phone bank. For novices, here’s how it works: You sign up for the training at a specific time and place online. You use your own “smart” phone in the comfort of your own space, as long as it has a decent internet connection. Immediately after the short training you are connected to the phone bank managed by NGP-VAN (3). You are supplied with a name and a script. You call from your phone which is receiving the information from the statewide VAN – “Voter Activation Network” – which contains statewide data on the most likely persuadable names and phone numbers. As soon as your call is completed (whether you reach a person or not), you request the next call, and the name and number pops up. I tried doing this a few weeks ago for a Graham Platner phone bank to let people know about some town halls in their area, but because my browser was Safari, I couldn’t manage it. I think I could have done it using Google Chrome or some other browser, and I plan to try again. In the space of a few hours, the 20 or so phone bankers working at that time made over 4000 calls, speaking to voters directly or leaving messages. Very efficient!
Action:Click here to sign up! (4) There is a dropdown menu on the right where you can pick your date and time. There are three-hour blocks of time starting at 9 am and ending at 9 pm, from November 1 (this Saturday) through voting day November 4 (when the last block ends at 8 pm – the polls close then.)
Urgency: Needless to say, the sooner you check your calendar for your availability, and sign up, the more likely you will get your first choice of time slot. Do it today!
Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
Protect our Public Lands
Tell our members of Congress how fed up we are
Pressure Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to reopen the House of Representatives
Sign up to help Californians pass their Election Rigging Response Act
Sign up for a phone banking shift in support of Maine’s Referendum Question #1
Give blood and help save lives
Some additional resources for messaging and taking action
Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored.
Find your State Representative: By name: Here By district: Here
(Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.)
Actions
1) Protect our public lands:
The Trump Administration has officially begun the process of revoking the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) “Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.” This rule, commonly known as the “Public Lands Rule,” was crafted to restore balance to the ways the BLM manages its 245 million acres of public lands, by requiring it to include the protection of fish, wildlife, and ecological integrity, not just industrial uses such as oil and gas drilling, mining, grazing, and logging. If we want to see America’s public lands, wildlife, and communities prosper, we need to submit our public comments demanding that this rule not be rescinded. All comments must be submitted by November 10th, 2025: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2025-0001-0001
2) Tell our members of congress how fed up we are and what we expect them to do:
Given the ongoing abuse of power by Trump and his handlers, we have a lot to oppose, so here’s a menu. Choose a couple of issues that concern you the most, then contact Senators King and Collins and House Rep. Golden to let ‘em have it. Make sure they know that we will do everything we can to vote them out if they don’t do everything in their power to claw back Congress’s authority.
® No “blank check” federal spending bill for Trump, Miller, and Vought
® All of Trump’s ongoing use of the White House to solicit bribes from private companies, billionaires, and foreign countries must be investigated and held to account
® Any government official who has participated in this administration’s illegal actions should be investigated and prosecuted
® File articles of impeachment and move to convict and remove Trump for his repeated defiance of the law
® Stop the military invasion and occupation of American cities
® No more funding for ICE as long as it continues kidnapping people and terrorizing our cities
® Stop Trump’s move toward war with Venezuela: Congress must conduct public investigations into the legal authority of the attacks on ships in the Caribbean; support a War Powers resolution to terminate these unauthorized strikes and block this administration’s attempt to broaden its military power; and call for the resignation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense
® Anything else you can think of!
3) Pressure Speaker of the House Mike Johnsonto immediately swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva and stop obstructing the democratic process just to appease Trump: Contact Jared Golden and demand that he put pressure on Mike Johnson to swear in duly-elected Adelita Grijalva of Arizona to the House of Representatives. Johnson has sworn in other new members during pro forma sessions; his excuses are just blatant lies to protect Trump from the release of the Epstein files.
4) Sign up to help California pass their Election Rigging Response Act: Texas recently redrew its voting maps to ensure more Republican seats in the House of Representatives, and several other states are trying to follow suit. Proposition 50, currently on California’s ballot for this year’s November 4th election, is California’s response to those attempts to rig the 2026 midterms. It will temporarily redraw California’s voting maps to give Democrats more seats in the House of Representatives to balance out the extra seats being created by the Texas Republicans and maintain a level playing field. But this proposition won’t pass unless enough Californians know about it and vote for it. You can help by volunteering for a phone bank here: https://act.gavinnewsom.com/signup/volunteer-erra/
5) Sign up for a phone banking shift in support of Maine’s Question #1 on the November 4th ballot: Polls are showing opinions very close on Referendum Question #1 here in Maine. Way too many people are ignoring the fine print and falling for the sensible-sounding call for “secure elections.” Our elections are already secure. Question #1 will restrict voting, pure and simple. Join a phone bank to help convince other Mainers to vote NO on Question #1: https://www.mobilize.us/mainedems/event/855836/
6) Give blood and help save lives: Sumner’s Community Service Class and the American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive on December 17th. It will be held from 10am to 3pm in the gym at the high school in Sullivan. You can sign up to donate here: https://bit.ly/4qhklRM
7) Additional resources for messaging and taking action:
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about “Fall of Freedom,” an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces, information on the Trump-ordered extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Pacific, and Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
TODAY, there is the Friday Bangor Visibility Brigade, which meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
UMaine Homecoming Sign Brigade TOMORROW, 10/25
Join us tomorrow, Saturday the 25th of October, on the Brandon M. Silk Memorial Bridge in Orono at 10:00 am. (This is the bridge that crosses the river from downtown Orono). We’ll be holding signs with full messages to show the drivers who are on their way to the big Homecoming football game where our Maine Black Bears battle Elon at 1:00 pm!
The Maine ICE Watch Hotline Is LIVE!
The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.
The Hotline project has already trained over 100 community volunteers, both as operators to receive calls and verifiers to confirm or refute reported sightings of immigration enforcement activity.
A project of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the People’s Coalition for Safety & Justice. Volunteers trained across Maine to respond, verify, and connect families to help.
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry. 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.
We made a difference on Saturday and we are keeping that momentum going! From Activate Maine:”On Saturday, an estimated 53,384 Mainers across 60+ towns rose up to resist facisim. That’s about 3.8% of our state’s population — surpassing the 3.5% threshold that history tells us can change everything.”
There were an estimated 7,000,000 people at 2700 events across the country. This is 2 million more than No Kings in June and 4 million more than Hands Off in April. This was the largest nationwide protest in American history
These huge nationwide demonstrations help show other citizens that they are not alone! People across all walks of life see our protests- they see that there are more of us than there are of the people who are trying to turn our country into an dictatorship with Donald Trump ruling over us all. This gives them hope, motivation, encouragement – they are not alone. We are united! And we WILL triumph!
Keep the momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
No on 1
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby (and recently endorsed by Paul LePage in the Bangor Daily News) scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Tell your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! CANVASS! CANVASS!See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, andOrono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry. 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.
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators, as well as one representative in the House, depending on where you live in the state. Contacting themMAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum forward by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Indivisible.org “What’s the Plan” Call
TODAY, is a celebratoryWhat’s the Plan with Ezra and Leah at the normal weekly time (Thursday, 3pm ET) to discuss next steps. Lean in this week. Join Ezra and Leah, and encourage others to join with you!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
TOMORROW
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Use this formto send one to the Bangor Daily News. “The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 4 election on Oct. 29. Not all submissions can be published.” That’s next Wednesday, so get to it!
Jordan Wood Is Returning to Bangor!
Democratic Senate Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Bangor Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Susan Collins, and hear about what his plans as your next Senator: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enact universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
Thursday, November 13, 6:00pm-7:30 pm. at the Bangor Public Library.
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Thursday October 23d: For the Heart – Join the Call to Act for the Arts Community – Check Out Fall of Freedom + Call to Bring the House Back From Recess
Hi Folks, it’s Friday and the fourth week of the Government Shutdown.
Even some people furloughed are supporting the shutdown as they have seen how Trump’s demolition of the Civil Service continues shutdown or no. They are looking for backbone from the Democrats and public pressure on Congress. What can you do about this?
Call King and Collins to support extension of the ACA tax credits by voting with the Democrats. (If you have done this already this week, call one friend and ask them to do the same. If everyone on this email did so, it would generate close to 200 calls today!) A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
From Earlier this Week:
Trump and his gang have started a series of extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean. Seven civilian vessels have been blown up and dozens of people killed, with no hearings, no due process, and only two reasons. Trump wants to distract from his problems at home by creating a “war” on drug traffickers in which he can order anyone he wants killed by claiming they are drug dealers. What could go wrong? Congress has done nothing about this.
Our lawmakers should be demanding an investigation of these murders NOW. For more information go here.
Ending our fourth week of House recess, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
Arts and Politics!
Fall of Freedom“is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.
This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment.” (from their website) They have a toolkit to help with creating graphics, posters, events to join the Art Resistance. (Thank you Connie for this.)
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
If you’ve already called King and Collins to vote with the Democrats on the shutdown: Call one friend and ask them to do the same. Give them the information below on numbers. You could also email 5 friends with the same request.
Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script.
Groundhog Day Alert, if you haven’t yet – Call King and Collins and ask them to vote with the Democrats on the Government Shutdown. This is the only sure way to make sure our Health Insurance rates don’t skyrocket!
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Vote absentee today especially if you want to be involved on Election Day canvassing, tabling, or helping work the polls: see the links above or below to get moving on this.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
“If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.”
― Baruch Spinoza
“I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.”
“The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is.”
― Baruch Spinoza
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about “Fall of Freedom,” an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces, information on the Trump-ordered extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Pacific, and Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
On Fridays,TOMORROW, the Bangor Visibility Brigade meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
What’s Next?
We made a difference on Saturday and we are keeping that momentum going! From Activate Maine:”On Saturday, an estimated 53,384 Mainers across 60+ towns rose up to resist facisim. That’s about 3.8% of our state’s population — surpassing the 3.5% threshold that history tells us can change everything.”
There were an estimated 7,000,000 people at 2700 events across the country. This is 2 million more than No Kings in June and 4 million more than Hands Off in April. This was the largest nationwide protest in American history
These huge nationwide demonstrations help show other citizens that they are not alone! People across all walks of life see our protests- they see that there are more of us than there are of the people who are trying to turn our country into an dictatorship with Donald Trump ruling over us all. This gives them hope, motivation, encouragement – they are not alone. We are united! And we WILL triumph!
Keep the momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
No on 1
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby (and recently endorsed by Paul LePage in the Bangor Daily News) scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Tell your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! CANVASS! CANVASS!See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, andOrono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry. 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.
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators, as well as one representative in the House, depending on where you live in the state. Contacting themMAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum forward by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Indivisible.org “What’s the Plan” Call
TODAY, is a celebratoryWhat’s the Plan with Ezra and Leah at the normal weekly time (Thursday, 3pm ET) to discuss next steps. Lean in this week. Join Ezra and Leah, and encourage others to join with you!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Jordan Wood Is Returning to Bangor!
Democratic Senate Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Bangor Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Susan Collins, and hear about what his plans as your next Senator: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enact universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
Thursday, November 13, 6:00pm-7:30 pm. at the Bangor Public Library.
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Thursday October 23d: For the Heart – Join the Call to Act for the Arts Community – Check Out Fall of Freedom + Call to Bring the House Back From Recess
Hi Folks, it’s a Thursday For the Heart. Let’s take a moment and look at how Art can play a role in the Resistance.
Fall of Freedom“is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.
This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment.” (from their website) They have a toolkit to help with creating graphics, posters, events to join the Art Resistance. (Thank you Connie for this.)
From Earlier this Week:
Trump and his gang have started a series of extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean. Seven civilian vessels have been blown up and dozens of people killed, with no hearings, no due process, and only two reasons. Trump wants to distract from his problems at home by creating a “war” on drug traffickers in which he can order anyone he wants killed by claiming they are drug dealers. What could go wrong? Congress has done nothing about this.
Our lawmakers should be demanding an investigation of these murders NOW. For more information go here.
Democrats are fighting to keep our Health Insurance Rates from skyrocketing by making the Government Shutdown negotiation contingent on extending the ACA tax credits. A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. Call King and Collins to support this demand as they have both consistently voted to end the shutdown. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
Entering our fourth week of House recess, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
For the Heart
For Your Heart this Fifth Week of Fall:
Can we take action knowing that it might be uncomfortable, but also knowing that action is our way forward?
You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room.Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries.Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own back yard.You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.
– Maya Angelou
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script.
Groundhog Day Alert: Call King and Collins and ask them to vote with the Democrats on the Government Shutdown. This is the only sure way to make sure our Health Insurance rates don’t skyrocket!
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
“Whoever cannot seek the unforeseen sees nothing for the known way is an impasse.” ― Heraclitus, Fragments
“The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny – it is the light that guides your way.” ― Heraclitus
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
Also, actions from Hancock Country Democrats, Action 172 ICE-out – No dICE, concerning LD1971, and from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (10/20) that discusses Russ Vought, the Insurrection Act, Spotify & ICE, and more. A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!
On Fridays, the Bangor Visibility Brigade meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
What’s Next?
We made a difference on Saturday and we are keeping that momentum going! From Activate Maine:”On Saturday, an estimated 53,384 Mainers across 60+ towns rose up to resist facisim. That’s about 3.8% of our state’s population — surpassing the 3.5% threshold that history tells us can change everything.”
There were an estimated 7,000,000 people at 2700 events across the country. This is 2 million more than No Kings in June and 4 million more than Hands Off in April. This was the largest nationwide protest in American history
These huge nationwide demonstrations help show other citizens that they are not alone! People across all walks of life see our protests- they see that there are more of us than there are of the people who are trying to turn our country into an dictatorship with Donald Trump ruling over us all. This gives them hope, motivation, encouragement – they are not alone. We are united! And we WILL triumph!
Keep the momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
No on 1
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Tell your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, andOrono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please consider donating to a local food pantry. 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.
Food and Medicinewill be holding its annual Solidarity Harvest next month. Please consider volunteering to help them distribute “locally-sourced meal baskets in late November, each with nearly 30 pounds of produce, which is enough food for 8-10 people.”
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators as well as one representative in the House. Contacting themMAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Indivisible.org “What’s the Plan” Call
Tomorrow, Thursday, is a celebratoryWhat’s the Plan with Ezra and Leah at our normal weekly time (Thursday, 3pm ET) to discuss next steps. Lean in this week. Join Ezra and Leah, and encourage others to join with you!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Jordan Wood Is Returning to Bangor!
Democratic Senate Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Bangor Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Susan Collins, and hear about what his plans as your next Senator: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enact universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
Thursday, November 13, 6:00pm-7:30 pm. at the Bangor Public Library.
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Wednesday October 22nd: Call for An Investigation of Trump’s Extrajudicial Killings in the Caribbean Now!
Hi Folks, it’s Wednesday and there are many action items to choose from. One stands out. Make some noise.
Trump and his gang have started a series of extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean. Seven civilian vessels have been blown up and dozens of people killed, with no hearings, no due process, and only two reasons. Trump wants to distract from his problems at home by creating a “war” on drug traffickers in which he can order anyone he wants killed by claiming they are drug dealers. What could go wrong? Congress has done nothing about this.
Our lawmakers should be demanding an investigation of these murders NOW. For more information go here.
From Earlier this Week:
Democrats are fighting to keep our Health Insurance Rates from skyrocketing by making the Government Shutdown negotiation contingent on extending the ACA tax credits. A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. Call King and Collins to support this demand as they have both consistently voted to end the shutdown. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
Entering our fourth week of House recess, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script.
Groundhog Day Alert: Call King and Collins and ask them to vote with the Democrats on the Government Shutdown. This is the only sure way to make sure our Health Insurance rates don’t skyrocket!
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
“The wealth required by nature is limited and is easy to procure; but the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.” ― Epicurus
“The noble person is chiefly concerned with wisdom and friendship; of these, the former is a mortal good, the latter an immortal one.”
― Epicurus
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Background: A bill titled “An Act to Protect Workers in This State by Clarifying the Relationship of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies with Federal Immigration Authorities” (LD 1971 aka HP 1315) was passed (“enacted”) in the legislature on June 18 and sent to Governor Mills, who deferred signing it until the next legislative session, starting in January 2026. A spokesperson for the Governor wrote the following in an email to WMTW (channel 8) back in June:
“The governor understands the motivation behind the legislation. She believes, however, that the legislation as enacted — which is billed as attempting to provide clarity to Maine law enforcement — does the opposite. The bill is both overly broad and confusing, as it establishes a complicated legal regime of the type of interactions that are or are not permitted with federal law enforcement.“(1)
Mills is running for the Senate, so it’s a good time to give the Governor your opinion, as she will be hoping for your support. Do some homework first, though. At least take the time to read some of the 266 items of testimony (2) if not the entire bill itself (3)and its comprehensive committee amendment(4) or at least the summaries at the ends of these two documents. Under the bill, local law enforcement agencies would no longer be allowed to arrest or detain a person for immigration purposes. Basically, this means our local police couldn’t act as an auxiliary arm of ICE. The legislation would also bar correctional facilities from informing ICE that a person who may be undocumented is being held at that facility (for whatever reason). This means they couldn’t decide on their own that, say, some dude with a broken taillightlooks like he might be here illegally, so they keep him in jail and call ICE.
“This bill does not prevent Maine law enforcement agencies from doing their job. Instead, it provides clarity. It will be sure that Maine law enforcement can focus on their primary mission,” said Rep. Deqa Dhalac, a Democrat from South Portland who is a sponsor of the bill. (1)
”Expedited removal is allowed and enforceable when certain non-citizens lack proper entry documents or have produced fraudulent documents at the border, and I would suggest that’s 99% of people who have crossed our border,” said Rep. MarygraceCimino, a Republican from Brighton who opposed the bill. (1) Whether or not this is a fair representation of fact, this strange statement does not address whether Maine should require its local law enforcement officers to become mini-ICE agents.
Some of the more interesting testimony in opposition comes from the Maine County Commissioners Association. I did not realize until reading it that Maine county jails get paid for holding federal suspects. Fair enough, but doesn’t it incentivize incarceration? A recent article from Cumberland County would strongly suggest so – they get $150 per day per inmate held for the feds (5). The Maine Chiefs of Police Association also opposes the bill, because they want the freedom to enter into agreements with ICE, (such as the infamous “287g program”) (6). Almost all the rest of the testimony is in support of the bill. It’s also curious that we should be contemplating using our local law enforcement people to assist a federal agency that just received a presidentially-decreed, enormously bloated budget that they are scrambling to figure out how to spend. (7, 8) Wouldn’t it be a better idea to reform the tactics of ICE and other feds so that they stop rounding up innocent legal citizens, terrorizing children, and injuring elderly protesters? (9)
Action: Contact Governor Mills: ask her to reconsider her position on LD 1971, and sign it into law as soon as the legislative session begins in January. Send a copy to your local legislator. According to the roll call (10) all Hancock County Republican state legislators were opposed, and all Democrats in favor.
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
On Fridays, the Bangor Visibility Brigade meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
What’s Next?
We made a difference on Saturday and we are keeping that momentum going! From Activate Maine:”On Saturday, an estimated 53,384 Mainers across 60+ towns rose up to resist facisim. That’s about 3.8% of our state’s population — surpassing the 3.5% threshold that history tells us can change everything.”
There were an estimated 7,000,000 people at 2700 events across the country. This is 2 million more than No Kings in June and 4 million more than Hands Off in April. This was the largest nationwide protest in American history
These huge nationwide demonstrations help show other citizens that they are not alone! People across all walks of life see our protests- they see that there are more of us than there are of the people who are trying to turn our country into an dictatorship with Donald Trump ruling over us all. This gives them hope, motivation, encouragement – they are not alone. We are united! And we WILL triumph!
Keep the momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
No on 1
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Tell your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, andOrono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Please consider donating to a local food pantry. The State of Maine has a handy list here. Non-perishable foods and personal items are always needed!
Food and Medicinewill be holding its annual Solidarity Harvest nest month. Please consider volunteering to help them distribute “locally-sourced meal baskets in late November, each with nearly 30 pounds of produce, which is enough food for 8-10 people.”
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators as well as one representative in the House. Contacting them MAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Indivisible.org Follow-Up National Call TONIGHT
From Ezra: This week the entire No Kings coalition is coming together for afollow-up call on Tuesday at 8pm ET, and then we’ll have a celebratoryWhat’s the Plan with me and Leah at our normal weekly time (Thursday, 3pm ET) to discuss next steps. Lean in this week. Join us, and encourage others to join with you!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Bangor City Council and the 287g Agreement
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Tuesday October 21st: What Next? Tune in Tonight to NOKINGS Organizers Discussion of This + Groundhog Day Alert – Call King and Collins on Extending Health Insurance Tax Credits
Hi Folks, it’s Tuesday and we have plenty to do before the next NOKINGS day. What Next? To find out what the NoKings2 national organizers are thinking about you can join them to hear their thoughts, TONIGHT at 8 pm, sign up here.
Democrats are fighting to keep our Health Insurance Rates from skyrocketing by making the Government Shutdown negotiation contingent on extending the ACA tax credits. A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. Call King and Collins to support this demand as they have both consistently voted to end the shutdown. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
Entering our fourth week of House recess, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Action Items from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option:
1) Keep the power of the purse away from Russ Vought
2) Contact family and friends in places where there are important elections coming up this November
3) Stop Trump from invoking the Insurrection Act
4) Urge our Senators and House Representative to support Voting Rights
5) Contact Jared Golden to ask him to demand the House be brought back into session
6) Boycott Spotify
7) Join a Zoom discussion of No Kings and what comes next
8) Maine-Specific Action (public health)
Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored.
Find your State Representative: By name: Here By district: Here
(Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.)
Actions
1) Keep the power of the purse away from Russ Vought, Trump’s head of the Office of Management and Budget and one of the primary architects of Project 2025:
Contact Senators King and Collins to strongly oppose the piece of Trojan-horse legislation set to be introduced in the Senate this week by Senator Ron Johnson. It’s called the “Shutdown Fairness Act” and it’s anything but fair. It’s supposedly about getting our military troops paid during the shutdown, but what it actually does is give Russell Vought vast new power to disburse funds where he chooses during the shutdown and cut off departments and services with which he disagrees. This is a terrible idea, for obvious reasons. If they wanted to get the troops paid during the shutdown, why not just propose a bill to pay the troops? We have to make sure our representatives in Congress see just how sneaky and wrong this bill is.
For Susan Collins: Remind her that without the extensions to the ACA Premium Tax Credits, a Maine family of four making $126,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $8,358. A 45-year-old Mainer making $62,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $2,133 to hit a yearly high of $7,403. A 60-year-old Maine couple making $82,000 will see their average annual premium costs rise by $20,858 to hit a yearly high of $27,828. [This data is from https://www.protectourcare.org/] She must see how insane and punitive that is. She has got to work with the Democrats to get those ACA tax credits extended so the government can be reopened.
For Angus King: If you agree with the Democratic Senators’ negotiating demands for the reopening of the government (I do), urge him to stand firm with them and not to cave to his natural concerns about the harm the shutdown is doing to a lot of American citizens. Those harms are nothing compared to the hard times the Republicans are promising will someday turn around and usher in a new age of prosperity for everyone. King knows perfectly well that it’s a lie, and that the Republicans’ plans will bring prosperity only to the top 1%–and of those, only the ones who bend the knee to him. Tell our Independent Senator that he has our backing to stick to a firm stand against this unfair bill.
3) Stop Trump from invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military in American cities: Trump wants to invoke the Insurrection Act in order to federalize National Guard troops—which, in ordinary times, are under the orders of State Governors—and order our military to enforce the law against American citizens on U.S. soil. His goal is to override the power of State Governors and continue to try to suppress the rights bestowed on U.S. citizens by the First Amendment: the right to speak freely without government censorship, the right to assemble publicly in peaceful protest, the right to dissent, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the right to a free press. Contact Senators King and Collins and Congressman Golden to demand that Congress update the Insurrection Act to add controls to prevent Trump or any other President from abusing the power of the office to police or otherwise attack the citizens of the United States on U.S. soil. You can read more here: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/tomorrow-and-forever-no-kings-in, and write your letter here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-rein-in-the-insurrection-act-and-end-trumps-war-on-cities/, or you can use whatever method you usually use to contact our representatives in Congress.
4) Urge our Senators and House Representative to support Voting Rights: It’s looking like the Supreme Court is getting ready to gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act. But per the Constitution, it’s Congress, not the courts, that has the power to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment’s promise of fair voting. Tell Senators Collins and King and House Rep. Golden to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (the Senate version is S. 4; the House version is H.R. 14). This Act would restore preclearance, reinforce Section 2 protections, and guarantee that every American has an equal voice in elections.
5) Contact Jared Golden to ask him to demand the House be brought back into session: Mike Johnson is playing games with the lives of all Americans by refusing to call the House of Representatives back into session. What he’s doing is not governance. It’s a craven abdication of responsibility. He was elected to be a lawmaker, not a liar and a rulebreaker.
7) Join a Zoom discussion of No Kings and what comes next:
Tomorrow night, October 21st, from 8pm-9pm Eastern time. If you’re interested in hearing or participating in a discussion with movement leaders and other activists across the country, sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/858246
7) Maine-Specific Action (public health):
Contact Janet Mills and ask her why she’s not part of the new multi-state public health alliance:
Back in September, 10 states—including Maine–announced a voluntary coalition called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, designed to break with public health guidance from the Trump administration and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of U.S. Health and Human Services and instead form their own, science-based guidelines. Now 15 Democratic governors have formed another new public health alliance. This new group, called Governors Public Health Alliance, differs from the Northeast Public Health Collaborative in scope, membership, and specific goals. While the NPHC is more focused on regional public health guidelines and regional readiness, the GPHA is more focused on cross-state coordination and data sharing.
If you agree that Maine could benefit from participating in both groups, contact Janet Mills and tell her so. You can email her through her website (https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/contact), call her at 207-287-3531, or send a snail-mail letter to Governor Janet Mills, 1 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333.
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
On Fridays, the Bangor Visibility Brigade meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
No Kings Bangor
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration.
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
What Next? To find out what the No Kings national organizers are thinking about it and you can join them to hear their thoughts, Tuesday, October 21st at 8 pm, sign up here.
Urge the EAC not to Require Documentary Proof of Citizenship COMMENTING OPPORTUNITY CLOSES TODAY, 10/20!
The Donald Trump administration has come up with another scheme to add documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to the federal voter registration form, this time from The American First Legal Foundation (AFLF) which is Stephen Miller’s organization. The League of Women Voter’s has a great site with details, as well as the current calls to action from Hancock County Democrats and the Bold Coast Civic Alliance.
Please visit the LWV site and these two calls to action to learn more and for the link to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) website to leave a comment concerning this. It appears that the government comment site has had a large number of supportive comments, so we need to comment and let them know how restrictive this will be.
Special Event with Nirav Shah
Join Nirav Shah for a special event on TONIGHT -Monday, October 20 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick. This event is open to all ages – food and live music provided! RSVP required – register today!
FLIGHT DECK BREWING, 11 ATLANTIC AVE BRUNSWICK, ME 04011 Here We Go Map
RSVP required for entry. Friends and family are welcome. Open to all ages, light refreshments provided.
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Bangor City Council Elections
Also on Election Day, November 4th, Bangor residents will be voting to elect new members to sit on the Bangor City Council. The Bangor Daily News has profiled all nine City Council candidates. You can read about them here.
Bangor City Council and the 287g Agreement
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Monday October 20th: Ask Congressional Representatives Pingree + Golden to Demand the House Be Brought Back Into Session – There is Work to be Done!
Hi Folks, it’s Monday and we know that roughly 7 million folks attended 2,700 recorded rallies in the United States, with rallies going on all over the globe as well. Public, mass protest is a key part of resistance strategy. Thanks to all of you who participated and supported the effort.
What Next? To find out what the NoKings2 national organizers are thinking about it and you can join them to hear their thoughts, Tuesday, October 21st at 8 pm, sign up here.
Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess for 3 weeks now in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
Now that Janet Mills has announced her candidacy for the Senate race against Collins, ask her to sign LD 1971 (already passed by the Maine Legislature) which restricts Maine Law Enforcement from working with ICE in Maine. “Maine Bill LD 1971 aims to protect workers by clarifying the relationship between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. It restricts local law enforcement from detaining individuals solely for immigration enforcement purposes, promoting the rights and safety of residents and the workforce in Maine.”
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Send your comment on the National ID Voter Requirement to the Election Assistance Commission: For details see description in section one of this email. Go here to comment. See attachment below for more info. Comment period ends today, October 20th.
Vote absentee today especially if you want to be involved on Election Day canvassing, tabling, or helping work the polls: see the links above or below to get moving on this.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
(Please see No Kings updates-new info added daily!)
And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible, And vote early TODAY!!!
Today, the Bangor Visibility Brigade meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
***Nationwide No Kings Protest!*** ***Saturday 10-18-25*** ***NOON to 2pm*** ***Broadway Park, Bangor*** ***ASL Interpreted***
Please refer to our Facebook page for the latest information (you do have to request to join).
Also, this event page is updated with information frequently!
Broadway Park, at Broadway and North Park Street (Stillwater Ave.), is a large, green, beautiful park that is perfect for our event! We will have guest speakers and the day should be a nice, cool, and partly sunny day! There will be music, people in costume, and it will be a joyous occasion!
While there is not a large parking lot available just for Broadway Park, there is plenty of parking all around the neighborhood and at local shopping centers. Some people are carpooling, being dropped off, or meeting nearby and walking to the park.
There are accessible spaces around N. Park that are marked off for attendees with an accessibility placard/plate. There will be an organizer near these spots that can help secure one for you. Please keep in mind they are first come first served.
We have now booked ASL interpreters for our event!
Speaking of signs, there is a sign making party at the Food AND Medicine building in Brewer TONIGHT! 10/17 from 6-8 pm! The Food and Medicine building is located at 20 Ivers Street in Brewer. Here We Go Map here.
Bring American flags! Encourage your friends to do the same, and let’s reclaim this symbol and remind the world that the freedom we stand for is freedom for all. Pick some up at affordable prices at Reny’s!
Ezra Levin was on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC Monday night. Check out his appearance here where he talks about this being the largest peaceful protest in American history and his take on the Republican efforts to label Saturday as the opposite of what it really is.
Before No Kings Day on Saturday:
Watch our Attendee Best Practices video. Get oriented to the basics of how to prepare for and navigate through your No Kings protest in less than four minutes. The best way to promote joy is by making sure you’re acting in a way that keeps everyone around you safe.
Use these graphics to change your profile picture on social media. We need to continue to build momentum around this movement. Make it unavoidable. Make it the thing to do. The last thing we want to hear is members of our own community saying, “I didn’t know it was happening.” Spread the word.
Invite your friends and family to join in the fun. There is a No Kings Day event within driving distance anywhere a person may be across the country. Find an event near your loved ones, send the information to them, and ask them to be a part of this movement. Bonus: You can promise to swap pictures during the event to give them a little extra motivation to go.
Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.
Click the link below for more info, especially parking info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!
Wednesday night’s ACLU “Protest Safety, Know Your Rights & De-Escalation”training is not yet available to view, but their “Know Your Rights” training for the 6/14 No Kings event is. View it here. It starts in Spanish, but the rest of it is in English.
The “No Kings Safety & De-escalation Training” from 9/25 & 10/9 is also available. View the training here.
Wired Magazine has a video how governments spy on protestors and how to avoid it. Check it out here. (Another good Wired clip, about how ICE spies on American citizens is here.)
Urge the EAC not to Require Documentary Proof of Citizenship COMMENTING OPPORTUNITY CLOSES MONDAY, 10/20!
The Donald Trump administration has come up with another scheme to add documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to the federal voter registration form, this time from The American First Legal Foundation (AFLF) which is Stephen Miller’s organization. The League of Women Voter’s has a great site with details, as well as the current calls to action from Hancock County Democrats and the Bold Coast Civic Alliance.
Please visit the LWV site and these two calls to action to learn more and for the link to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) website to leave a comment concerning this. It appears that the government comment site has had a large number of supportive comments, so we need to comment and let them know how restrictive this will be.
Special Event with Nirav Shah
Join Nirav Shah for a special event on Monday, October 20 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick. This event is open to all ages – food and live music provided! RSVP required – register today!
FLIGHT DECK BREWING, 11 ATLANTIC AVE BRUNSWICK, ME 04011
RSVP required for entry. Friends and family are welcome. Open to all ages, light refreshments provided.
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Stop the Occupation of American Cities!
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangorand tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Friday October 17th: Get Your NOKINGS2 On For Tomorrow + Bring Some Friends + Vote Now on Referendum Questions : No on 1, Yes on 2
Hi Folks, it’s Friday and we are one day away from what will likely be the biggest Mass Protest in US History, NOKINGS2. Get some friends to go with you. Bring young people you know. Find some inflatable frog costumes to wear! Bring lots of flags. Bring some extra food (power bars are great) to give to someone who may need a little nourishment.
If you are interested in great signs to make for the event go to The Big List of Protest Signs for #NoKings 10/18. Go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize site to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th. Spread the word about NoKings by sharing this website. Watch our Attendee Best Practices video.Get oriented to the basics of how to prepare for and navigate through your No Kings protest in less than four minutes. The best way to promote joy is by making sure you’re acting in a way that keeps everyone around you safe. Usethese graphics to change your profile picture on social media. (Thank you Indivisible Bangor for these links!)
Keep working on forcing the Republicans to negotiate to include the Health Insurance tax extensions in the Budget Bill. You can use the Indivisible Toolkitfor this, as well as the 5calls.org information to help with your communications. Ask Senator King to join the Democrats in voting against the Republican CR. He continues to vote with the Republicans on their CR, and with the Democrats on their CR measure.
Now that Janet Mills has announced her candidacy for the Senate race against Collins, ask her to sign LD 1971 (already passed by the Maine Legislature) which restricts Maine Law Enforcement from working with ICE in Maine. “Maine Bill LD 1971 aims to protect workers by clarifying the relationship between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. It restricts local law enforcement from detaining individuals solely for immigration enforcement purposes, promoting the rights and safety of residents and the workforce in Maine.”
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
Get ready for NoKings2: For sign ideas go here For de-escalation training go here To find the demonstration place nearest you go here and sign up here.
Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
Celebrate Indigenous People’s Day Every Day: Go to the website Cultural Survival for 15 actions you can take to support Indigenous Peoples on this day.
Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email. Go to 5calls.org for the latest info. on the firings in Education and the CDC that Trump is instigating.
Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
Donate to Paola’s family – the victim of ICE kidnapping here in Kennebec County: See above and the attached email below for more details. Go to the Community Relief Fund webpage to make your donation.
Send your comment on the National ID Voter Requirement to the Election Assistance Commission: For details see description in section one of this email. Go here to comment. See attachment below for more info.
Vote absentee today especially if you want to be involved on Election Day canvassing, tabling, or helping work the polls: see the links above or below to get moving on this.
Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
Call on our Congressional Representatives to demand the release of the Homan and Epstein Files: Democrat Adelita Grijalva just got elected to the US House, giving us enough votes to force the release of the files, but Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in part to avoid this vote. This makes release of these files even more important. According to reliable sources, the FBI has video of our man Homan accepting $50,000 in a Cava bag in return for a promise to give undercover agents Government Contracts once Trump gets back into office. Learn more here. Trump is considering pardoning sex trafficker and abuser Ghislaine Maxwell who most likely has the dirt on him.
Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
