Category: Call To Action

  • Action 196 – ICE is coming!

    A message from the Hancock Country Democrats:

    Background: Several sources have suggested today that ICE plans to visit Maine very soon, like in the next week or so, sending in several hundred agents the way they did in Minnesota. Immigrant communities such as in Lewiston need to be taking precautions in case the raids come.

    Check out this source: https://www.aclumaine.org/preparingforice/

    And read Shay Stewart-Bouley’s post https://shaystewartbouley.substack.com/p/coldest-ice-nah-it-will-probably where she says: “I say this as someone in Portland, Maine, area, where ICE is expected to arrive in force very soon (I guess they wanted their matched pair of coastal Portlands to terrorize after messing around in Oregon). Supposedly, they will be here “only” a week, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

    Action: Do what you can to help, and stay safe. Do not under any circumstances give the Trump administration any excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act. Janet Mills might consider stopping her campaign long enough to implement some protective actions – call her. She’s a friend of Governor Pritzker, maybe he can give her some pointers. Videos of whatever goes down will be very important.

    See this reference. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/yes-you-have-right-film-ice

    And tell our delegation to get the heck home and protect their constituents! Especially Jared Golden, or his legacy will be one of complicity with an attempted fascist takeover.

    ~~~~~~~
    Contact:

    Phone for Governor Mills’ office:
    main phone number
    (207) 287-3531

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

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

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

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

    Extra Credit.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/11/states-move-to-rein-in-ice-after-fatal-minnesota-shooting-00721208

  • Action 195 – EXIT the Big Tent of Hate

    A message from the Hancock Country Democrats:

    Background. If you read the news with an eye to figuring out who the Republicans have said they are enraged by, dismissive of, and targeting for injury of some sort, you will find the following: Immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, Democrats (especially public officials and people living in “blue states”), Muslims, freethinkers, Jews opposed to genocide, Blacks, Native Americans, people in “shithole countries”, people opposed to fascism (“Antifa”), the poor, the disabled, people receiving government assistance in any form (e.g. SSI, SNAP & Medicaid), the sick, the elderly, young children, public school teachers, unions, protesters, scientists, scholars, lawyers and civil rights advocates, reasonable judges, Hollywood luminaries, injured veterans, Europeans, victims of ICE brutality… and the list goes on and on. Who on earth DON’T they hate? Putin?

    The Republican Party has become a big tent alright – all haters welcome!

     These are sick people. (1)

    Actions.

    1. Protest at every opportunity. Protests build community among all the aforementioned groups. They need your support, especially if you are in the demographic the Republican haters like: “white”, cis-gendered, healthy, educated, and articulate. It’s up to you/us to protect the unjustly hated.

    2. Encourage any registered Republican you may still be friends with, to work tirelessly from the inside to change their party back to its Lincoln-era roots. This is risky for them and requires courage on their part. Either they need to be working toward that end, or they need to unenroll from the party (the way the national opera is leaving the former Kennedy Center!) (2)

    3. Write a letter to the editor on this theme. Hold the mirror up to the face of the Republican party. They need to see clearly what it has become. They need to know that all people of good will see it, too.

    4. Do not vote for any Republican candidate in any local, state or national election. Work to see that even in your town, there is someone running from the ranks of the Dems (preferably) but also unenrolled or third-party candidates. Anyone but a Republican, given what they have become.

    5. Get your likeminded but unenrolled and Green Party friends to enroll as Democrats. It’s the best way for them to influence the selection of candidates in the primary ranked choice election (in June), who will go on to the midterm voting (in November). As Jay Kuo said: “If we do our work, November 2026 will mark a turning point for our country. All eyes on that prize, all gas no brakes.”(3).


    Contacts.

    See here for how to write a letter to the editor, with links to local papers.     https://hancockdems.org/volunteer/ltes/

    Here are a few of several local organizations you might want to work with – let us know of others. We need to be building a strong coalition to resist the fascist takeover effectively.

    https://indivisiblepeninsula.org (Blue Hill peninsula)

    https://acadiaaction.org (mostly communities east of Ellsworth) 

    https://indivisiblebangor.org (online meetings, actions close to Bangor)

    https://www.facebook.com/p/Indivisible-Waldo-County-Me-61577889617091/ (Belfast etc.)

    Urgency.
    Maine has semi-open primaries.Republicans disgusted with their party can unenroll and vote in a different party’s primary if they unenroll by May 26. Unenrolled voters get to choose one party’s ballot in the June primary. Their unenrolled status does not change. See your town registrar for forms and details. It’s up to us to make the Democratic party an organization that good people wish to stay in.


    Extra Credit
    (1) https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-are-federal-agents-gunning-down (the last half of the article)

    (2) https://www.npr.org/2026/01/10/nx-s1-5671107/kennedy-center-canceled-trump-washington-national-opera-wno

    (3) https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/bridges-too-far

    ~~~~~~~
    Contact:

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

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

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

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

  • BCCA Action Items- Monday, 1/12

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

    1)      Oppose Trump’s fuel economy rollbacks 

    2)      Support efforts to impeach Kristi Noem  

    3)      The Senate must pass a clean extension of the ACA tax credits 

    4)      Push Congress to take back its constitutional war powers authority 

    5)      Demand the immediate cessation of ICE raids in American cities 

    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. 

    Contact info:

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

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

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

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

    Find your State Representative: 
    By nameHere
    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) Oppose Trump’s fuel economy rollbacks: 

         In early December, the Trump administration announced plans to eliminate critical fuel economy protections for passenger cars and trucks by stripping away Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards—a move that, if successful, will mean increased oil consumption, higher costs for consumers at the pump, and further harm to public health through increased refinery pollution. 

         The public comment period on these proposed rollbacks to CAFE standards is open, but only until Tuesday, January 20. Act now: submit a comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to demand they uphold the existing CAFE standards. You can comment here here. There’s a script provided, but it’s always a good idea to personalize it. 

    2) Support efforts to impeach Kristi Noem
         House Representative Robin Kelly has filed articles of impeachment against Noem, accusing her of obstructing Congress, compromising public safety, violating Americans’ due process, and abusing her office for personal benefit. Reps. Maxine Dexter, Emily Randall, and Yassamin Ansar have co-sponsored the bill. I’d add “inciting violence” and “covering up for a murderer” to the list, but hey, it’s a start. 
         Contact Rep. Jared Golden to urge him to cosponsor these articles of impeachment. If he thinks Kristi Noem has done a single thing not harmful to the U.S., he must be living in another world. 

    3) The Senate must pass a clean extension of the ACA premium tax credits: 
         Seventeen House Republicans just joined Democrats to pass a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act health care subsidies. Now it is the Senate’s turn. 

         Contact Senators King and Collins to demand that they vote FOR a clean three-year extension of the ACA premium tax credits, one without any restrictions on abortion or gender-affirming care.  

    4) Push Congress to take back its constitutional war powers authority: 
        Trump just posted a photo of himself captioned “Acting President of Venezuela.” How not to endear himself to the people of Venezuela or the USA. It’s beyond time for Congress to slap him down. 
        Last week, the Senate passed the initial procedural motion to invoke the War Powers Resolution to force the withdrawal of American troops from Venezuela and bar further use of the U.S. military for “hostilities within or against Venezuela.” Susan Collins and 4 other GOP Senators voted with the Democrats. The final passage vote will be this week, and as we’ve seen before, Susan Collins can’t be relied on to vote against Trump when the vote actually might have meaning.
     
        Contact Senators King and Collins and demand that they vote to invoke the War Powers Resolution. With Senator Collins, start by thanking her for voting for the procedural motion last week and then urge her to stand firm on that stance when the final vote comes up this week.  

    5) Demand the immediate cessation of ICE raids in American cities
         Contact Senators King and Collins and Congressman Golden and demand that they speak out against the use of Trump’s under-trained, trigger-happy, gestapo goons in American cities. They must oppose the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrant communities and hold this administration accountable for their authoritarian and unlawful tactics. They must demand a full investigation of ICE agents’ indiscriminate use of deadly force against protesters—and agent Jonathan Ross must be arrested and charged with murder. And they must refuse to pass a DHS appropriations bill that fully funds ICE. 

         One more thing: It can’t have been lost on anyone that at the same time that Trump and his DHS are smearing protesters as a means to justify attacking and killing them, Trump is talking about going to war with Iran in order to protect the anti-government protesters there. Remind our Senators and Congressman that the US military should stay out of Iran. Americans don’t want any more forever wars. 

    Yours in Civic Action, 

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

  • BCCA Action Items- Wednesday, 1/7

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

    1. Fight for affordable healthcare 
    2. Keep up the anti-war (especially illegal war) message 
    3. Boycott Hilton 
    4. Sign or rewrite and send a Resistbot letter reminding Congress that congressional oversight is required, not optional 

    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. 

    Contact info:

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

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

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

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

    Find your State Representative: 
    By nameHere
    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) Fight for affordable healthcare: 

        House Democrats could move as soon as today to force a vote on extending the expired ACA subsidies for three years. Our representatives–especially GOP–need to hear from you, their constituents, that you want them to vote for the extension without strings attached. Millions of people are already seeing their health insurance premiums rising exponentially. If the subsidies are not extended, many will be forced to choose between feeding their families and having health insurance (without which the costs of healthcare could bankrupt families across the country).
         Bottom line: Republicans want to rip away tax credits from working- and middle-class Americans in order to give tax breaks to the corporations that rip us off. The big irony is that some of those corporations getting tax breaks are the health insurance companies who charge unaffordable premiums to begin with. 

         Contact Rep. Jared Golden to make sure he’s going to vote for a “clean extension” of the Affordable Care Act Tax Credits.  

    2) Keep up the anti-war (especially illegal war) message: 
         Senator Tim Kaine plans to force a vote this week to block further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval. “We’ve entered the 250th year of American democracy and cannot allow it to devolve into the tyranny that our founders fought to escape,” he said. If you’re uncertain about the illegality of Trump’s military operation and the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president and his wife (and yes, they are evil, horrible people, but that’s not the point), read this helpful explanation: https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/back-to-legal-basics-on-venezuela.  
         Contact Senators King and Collins and demand that they support Tim Kaine’s war powers resolution. Point out to Susan Collins that this is not a partisan situation: This is legal vs illegal, right vs wrong, good vs evil. It sets a terrible precedent, supporting the idea that military might—not a sovereign nation’s own people—can determine who has power in another country. That goes against everything ever set up after WWII to prevent war across the globe. If Trump wants to revitalize a country, he can begin with our own country, which he has been doing everything in (and outside of) his power to destroy. Enough is enough. Congress has to take back its job and stop this criminal president. 
        Contact Rep. Golden and demand that he support or introduce a similar resolution in the House. Same arguments as above. Plus he’s ex-military and he’s resigning after his term is over, so he should also join Mark Kelly et al in reminding servicemen and -women that they are expected to disobey illegal orders. He’s got nothing to lose. 
     

    3) Boycott Hilton: 
         A lot of us were happy with Hilton when the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis canceled reservations for ICE agents at their hotel. But after the DHS accused the entire Hilton hotel company of helping to “undermine and impede D.H.S. law enforcement,” Hilton responded by sycophantically assuring DHS that it wasn’t their company’s policy, just an act by a rogue franchise. And now that franchise has been removed from the Hilton website as an option for booking a room. So now we should boycott Hilton and tell them—and everyone on social media—why. You can email Hilton at hilton.comments@hilton.comand hiltonhonors@hilton.com. To be on the safe side, send your email to both addresses. If you’re a Hilton Honors member, make sure they know it. So let’s tell Hilton that we refuse to stay in a hotel where ICE agents might be staying—we wouldn’t feel safe around those thugs. Or say whatever you like. Just make sure they know they’ve lost your business until they get with the humanitarian, anti-kidnapping-and-deportation-without-due-process, anti-masked-enforcers program. 
     

    4) Sign or rewrite and send a Resistbot letter reminding Congress that congressional oversight is required, not optional: 
         To send the Resistbot letter, text SIGN PHUCNM to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram. To rework it in your own words, you can read the original letter hereand then rework it in your own words and send it to Susan Collins, Angus King, and Jared Golden.

    Yours in Civic Action

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

  • BCCA Action Items- Monday, 1/5

    We’re at the point where I’m repeating myself a lot with these civic actions. Lately there are some really huge things going on that require our unflagging focus and repeated entreaties to our legislators. The two big ones are, of course, Venezuela and the Epstein files. Trump has chosen to distract us from the Epstein files with Venezuela’s oil, but both involve criminal actions by him and both are yet more grounds for impeachment. I am suggesting calling/writing every day and encouraging friends and family to do the same (in person and on social media), because numbers matter: We need to flood our legislators’ phone lines and inboxes with demands for action.  

         As always, choose the actions that speak to you the most, and if you want more, go back over the most recent Action Items emails. 

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

    1. Stop the illegal war on Venezuela and impeach Trump 
    2. Keep up the focus on the Epstein files 
    3. Speak up to protect trans youth AND the right of medical professionals to make decisions about patient treatment without the government butting in 
    4. Maine-specific 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. 

    Contact info:

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

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

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

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

    Find your State Representative: 
    By nameHere
    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)  Stop the illegal war on Venezuela and impeach Trump: 

         After campaigning on a “no more wars” policy, Trump has bypassed Congress to strike Venezuela, kidnap their president, and arrest him on trumped-up (pun intended) charges of massive drug trafficking (shortly after he pardoned the president of Honduras, who was guilty of major drug trafficking). Now he’s threatening Mexico, Panama, Canada, Greenland, and other countries. What the hell?  

         Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to demand that Congress immediately begin the process to impeach Trump. Enough is enough, and we are way, way past “enough.”  

         Add that it is past time for Congress to take back its constitutional authority and stop Trump’s aggressive and illegal acts of war. (Susan Collins especially needs to hear this: She voted against last November’s joint resolution directing the cessation of US military involvement in any non-Congressionally-authorized hostilities against Venezuela.)  

        Do this every day, if you can. Also post on social media to encourage others to contact their legislators in Congress. 

    2)  Keep up the focus on the Epstein files: 
         The DOJ has just blown past the statutory deadline (set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act) to submit to Congress written justification for any documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files that were redacted or withheld. So far we’ve learned from the files already revealed that “co-conspirators” definitely existed (federal prosecutors once considered charging them), that people of power/money traveled repeatedly on Epsteins private aircraft, and that Epstein maintained access to staff and services from Mar-a-Lago. Recently released video footage has also contradicted prior official statements regarding the surveillance system at the federal detention facility where Epstein died in August 2019. This is serious stuff and must be brought to light.  
         It’s not enough that the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted by overwhelming bipartisan majority. Now that Act must be enforced. Congress has plenty of ways to respond to the DOJ’s stonewalling, including invoking contempt powers, conditioning appropriations, and initiating impeachment proceedings against officials who knowingly violate federal law. As in everything going on these days, Congress must step up and assert its authority.  
         Pressure Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden, every day if you can, to demand that their colleagues in Congress to do the right thing and enforce the law with every tool at their disposal. 

    3)  Speak up to protect trans youth AND the right of medical professionals to make decisions about patient treatment without the government butting in: 
        Trump is sidestepping Congress (as usual) to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth by using the rulemaking process. The proposed rule, RIN 0938-AV87, would bar any hospital system that participates in Medicaid or Medicare from offering gender-affirming care to transgender youth, regardless of whether that care is paid for with federal funds or privately.  
         Please note that regardless of how you might feel about gender-affirming care, this rule would set a very bad precedent for the insertion of government between doctors and their patients, and especially for the rights of women (or anyone, for that matter) to make their own decisions about their own health. 
        The rule must first go through a 60-day public comment period, which ends at 5pm on February 17th. We can do our part by submitting our comments. During this comment period, this rule can still be challenged, delayed, and fought, but only if people show up and refuse to let it move forward quietly. The Human Rights Campaign is making it easy for people to compose and submit comments: https://act.hrc.org/page/183931/petition/1 (their form is at the bottom of the webpage) 
     

    4)  Maine-specific: 
    Help get Nirav Shah on the ballot as a gubernatorial candidate:  
        Wendilee is collecting signatures for Nirav Shah to get his name on the ballot. To sign you must be a registered democrat. You can sign for multiple candidates. Contact Wendilee (wendileeheathobrien@proton.me) if you want to sign; she will come to you or you can go to her gallery (316 Main Street in Winter Harbor). She has sheets for Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro. 

    Yours in Civic Action

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

  • Action 191 Addendum

    A message from the Hancock Country Democrats:

    This chart tells you what you need to know about the real reasons.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Contact:

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

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

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

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

  • BCCA Action Items- SPECIAL EDITION, Sunday, 1/4

    I know we’re all angry/upset/scared about Trump’s illegal invasion of Venezuela and his kidnapping of their evil dictator Maduro and his wife, so I just wanted to share Indivisible’s toolkit for action items you can do right away. Feel free to use their letter and call script: I think right now numbers are more important than making everything personal. They should be flooded with emails and phone calls. The actual content doesn’t matter beyond making clear that you want them to do everything they can to stop this insanity. 

    1. Start by signing and sending their letter to your representatives: https://act.indivisible.org/sign/stop-trumps-war-in-venezuela/ You can add your own comment or send it as it is.
    2. Call their offices: Use Indivisible’s call script (https://indivisible.org/resource/call-now-tell-your-representative-stop-trumps-war-venezuela)   or compose your own. You know the drill.
    3. Share this toolkit with everyone you know and also on social media:  https://act.indivisible.org/share/link?type=fb&page_name=stop-trumps-war-in-venezuela&action_id=24854271&akid=.3507471.lZcGEO&ar=1&rd=1

    Together in civic action,

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

    Contact info: 

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

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

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

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

    Find your State Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

  • Action 190 – Support small scale solar (not “small scale”nukes!)

    A message from the Hancock Country Democrats:

    Background: Hancock County legislators lead once again! Senator Nicole Grohoski has a new bill in the legislature that will have one of this year’s first hearings, on January 6. LD 1730 (1) carried over from last year was one of those concept drafts that don’t give you any information. But Nicole submitted the details on Dec. 30 (2) and more information on the concept is available in a Google doc (3) from Representative Gary Friedmann. The bill now has a name: “An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis”. The initial sections of the legislation deal with building code modifications to increase energy efficiency. Then we come to Section 3475. Plug-in photovoltaic and battery systems. These new-ish devices (already widely available up to 800 Watts: you can see them on Amazon for instance) will allow homeowners to harvest the sun’s energy directly, to reduce their electricity bills from the power companies. This bill creates a new category for small plug-in solar electricity generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, and establishes safety requirements. They would not be able to export power to the grid, so net energy billing would not apply. The owners would have to notify, but not get permission from, the utility. The devices would be treated as personal property by homeowner insurance, and if installed by, say, a renter on someone else’s property, they would have to be removed at the end of their use and the structure restored. The hearing will be Tuesday, January 6, 1:00pm. Written (rather than oral) testimony is requested.

    Action: Testimony can be sent to the Energy, Utility and Technology Committee. Here is the online portal: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ or just email the committee at EUT@legislature.maine.gov

    Extra Credit:

    (1) https://legislature.maine.gov/billtracker/#Paper/1730?legislature=132

    (2) https://legislature.maine.gov/backend/App/Services/getDocument.aspx?documentId=121199

    (3) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a8qtkRTXNdr_nRjN4fzyiAGJqwCLY3F9ZpE6W46FOmA/edit?tab=t.0

    (4) https://mainemorningstar.com/2025/09/25/plug-in-solar-bills-are-in-the-works-in-new-hampshire-and-vermont/

    Now about the small scale nukes… There is a push among some nuclear power enthusiasts to start building “small” nuclear power plants in Maine. These would be of a size appropriate for AI data centers – up to around 300 MW or about 1/3 the capacity of Maine Yankee. This push came to the Maine Legislature last year in the form of three pro-nuke bills. Two of the bills failed in committee, and the third, LD 343, was substantially revised by its sponsor Republican Reagan Paul to an innocuous-sounding title: “An Act to Ensure Periodic Assessment for Clean Energy Technology.” This bill has been carried over – see its history here – https://legislature.maine.gov/billtracker/#Paper/HP0243?legislature=132 – but nothing is scheduled for it so far this year. Until the nuclear power promoters have solved the conundrum of what to do with nuclear waste (5), and until the federal government no longer indemnifies the power plant owners/operators for any accidents (6), nuclear power is “too hot to handle” and doesn’t belong in Maine.

    (5) I was present at a conference in the early 1970s, where I remember Dr. Alvin Weinberg saying nuclear power was “a solution in search of a problem” and it found it, in the problem of waste disposal. Not much has changed. Here’s what Google AI overview has to say today: “No, the nuclear waste problem has not been fully solved, as there is no universally implemented permanent disposal solution, although significant progress has been made in safe temporary storage and waste management techniques. Currently, countries primarily rely on temporary storage, and while some, like Finland, have developed deep geological repositories, their full operation and long-term success are still being evaluated.”  Note that some of the testimony on Maine’s nuke bills touted France’s ability to manage the nuclear fuel cycle. Actually, France is currently engaged in remediation of its prior practice of dumping nuke waste in the ocean, and is still searching for a satisfactory solution.

    (6) The federal government still indemnifies nuclear power plants through the Price-Anderson Act of 1957 which limits liability and provides a government backstop for claims exceeding the industry’s private insurance and self-funded capacity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) indemnifies commercial nuclear power plants, while the Department of Energy (DOE) provides indemnification for its contractors. This system has been renewed multiple times, most recently in 2024, to ensure that damages from a nuclear incident would be covered. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10821

    Contact:

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

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

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

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

  • Action 189 – Voting 2026

    A message from the Hancock Country Democrats:

    Background: There is nothing in the Maine political world more important than this year’s votes, in June and November. All the efforts we have been making to rescue the sinking ship of state will be either accomplished, or severely hampered if not nullified, by the result of those votes.

    Everyone’s time and energy are limited, so it’s important to focus. We can drive ourselves batty responding to every outrage that comes to us in our daily news feeds, or we can acknowledge the outrages while focusing on this year’s primary goal: to nominate and then elect patriotic Americans who will change course, back to the principles and aspirations on which the nation was founded. We have a representative form of government. OUR job is to make sure our representatives are the best ones.

    It’s not sufficient just to donate money, although that is important. You have to volunteer as an active participant in their campaign. You have to door-to-door canvass for them, write letters to the editor supporting them, wear their buttons and other merch, put up their road signs, make additional homemade road signs, put a bumper sticker on your car, host a house party, speak out in favor of them whenever you have a chance, and help them understand the issues that are important to you (i.e. help them develop their policies). If you are doing all this, you are doing the work necessary. If you have not yet started, please get busy!

    The Democratic Party is not supposed to endorse specific candidates until after the primary. Unfortunately, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, the party has a habit of putting its thumb on the scale in favor of incumbents and other cronies. If you want to change this dynamic, research and support the other candidates. However, after the primary, be prepared to be fully on board with the nominees, because whoever they are, they are a better choice than any person who is still a member of the Republican party. Its leadership holds views antithetical to our principles, and the party rank-and-file is either ignorant, spineless, or complicit.  In good conscience you cannot vote for, or promote, anyone who is still a Republican, to any office whatsoever.

    Action: Pick your candidates and make it a top priority to get them elected! Or run yourself.

    Urgency: Do your homework NOW and volunteer for someone by the end of January.


    Contact:

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

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

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

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

    Extra Credit:

    Understand Ranked Choice voting. It will be used in the June primaries for US Senate, US Congress, Governor, State Senate and State Representative, and also in the November election for US Senate and US Congress if there are three or more qualified candidates. On election night, municipal officials count only the first-choice selections for each ranked-choice voting contest. If no candidate received more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the memory devices containing the results (for tabulator municipalities) and the paper ballots (for hand-count municipalities) are delivered to the Secretary of State in Augusta for a central ranked-choice voting tabulation. Results from all memory devices and scanned paper ballots are uploaded into one database. The cast vote records are extracted and then processed through the ranked-choice voting software to produce final results.

    Running for office. Collecting valid signatures is an excellent way to start promoting your favored candidate – which could even be you!. To be on the ballot in June, a signed petition must be received by the Secretary of State no later than March 16. The required minimum numbers of valid signatures for PARTY candidates are: 2000 for Governor or US Senator, 1000 for US Representative, 150 for county officers, 50 for County Commissioner, and 25 for state legislators. The signers must be registered to vote in the party for which the candidate is seeking nomination. The numbers of signatures required for NON-PARTY candidates are double these figures. The rules are spelled out in the State of Maine 2026 Candidate’s Guide to Ballot Access.


  • BCCA Action Items- Friday, 1/2

    Happy New Year! Welcome to 2026 and our continuing fight to bring compassion, fairness, and peace into the hearts and minds of all Americans (citizens or not).  

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

    1)      Help save the Kennedy Center’s independence and reputation 

    2)      Stop Trump’s illegal attacks on Venezuela 

    3)      Demand that the ultra-rich polluters pay their fair share 

    4)      Resist Trump’s attempts to destroy alternative energy growth and to bolster coal 

    5)      Keep fighting ICE by boycotting companies that are enabling it 

    6)      Watch the CBS CECOT prison story that was pulled off the air 

    7)      Learn what we might do to fight in 2026 

    8)      Maine-Specific Actions 

    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. 

    Contact info: 

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

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

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

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

    Find your State Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    (Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.)

    Actions 

    1) Help save the Kennedy Center’s independence and reputation: 

       On Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (MD-06) introduced two pieces of new legislation:  

    1. H.R.6925, the Kennedy Center Protection Act – “To require the removal of any signage or other identification from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that differs from the designation ‘John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’, as designated under section 3 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76i)” 
      In plain English: basically to undo the recent addition of Trump’s name on the  
      John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; 
    2. H.R.6926, the Federal Property Integrity Act – “To prohibit the naming, renaming, designating, or redesignating of any Federal building, land, or other asset in the name of a sitting President” 
      In plain English:to ban Trump from doing this to any other federal asset during  
      his tenure (which, given his love of spreading his “brand” all over the world, he is 
      sure to do), and to prevent future presidents from trying the same thing.  
         So far, there are 3 co-sponsors, John Larson (CT-1), Jahana Hayes (CT-5), and Adelita Grijalva (AZ-7)—all Democrats. Contact Rep. Jared Golden to urge him to co-sponsor these bills. This is the United States of America, not the United States of Trump. 
       

    2) Stop Trump’s illegal attacks on Venezuela: 
         So far, no proposed legislation to take back Congress’s power to declare war has passed either the House or the Senate. The Republican legislators are still too afraid of Trump to attempt to clip his wings at all, and the Democrats have not succeeded in making more than a couple of them see sense and act. But this has to stop, especially when we have a kill-happy play-soldier at the head of the Pentagon and a sociopathic, power-hungry lunatic with the keys to the nuclear codes as his boss. Unless war has been declared, the extrajudicial murders of civilian boats and the (only known…so far) attack on a dock in Venezuela are all illegal. And it’s Congress’ job, not the president’s, to declare war. Plus, the evidence that has been presented in support of these attacks is very, very thin.  
       Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to ask that they introduce new legislation to block war with and unprovoked/unjustified military actions against Venezuela, including those aimed at bringing about regime change in that country.  
     

    3) Demand that the ultra-rich polluters pay their fair share: 
        As climate disasters intensify, the ultra-rich and fossil fuel corporations continue to dodge accountability for their role in worsening the crisis. Oxfam America’s latest research shows that a person from the richest 0.1% produces more carbon in a single day than a person in the bottom 50% produces all year. Yet while the super-rich profit from environmental destruction, everyday people pay the price. The ultra-rich are not just overconsuming carbon, but also actively investing in and profiting from the most polluting corporations. Oxfam’s research finds that the average billionaire produces 1.9 million tons of CO2 a year through their investments, while the rest of us are left to shoulder the burden of the growing climate crisis.  
       Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to demand that they push for legislation to tax the very richest of the rich so that the federal government will have the money to help communities most harmed by the floods and wildfires, droughts and heat waves caused by the climate crisis.  
        And/or you can sign this petition: https://act.oxfamamerica.org/page/90180/petition/1 
     

    4) Resist Trump’s attempts to destroy alternative energy growth and to bolster coal: 
       On Monday, December 22nd, Trump ordered the suspension of five offshore wind projects that were under construction along the East Coast and poised to deliver power to more than 2.5 million homes and businesses. At least one was already partially working. The next day, his administration ordered two coal-burning power plants in Indiana to continue operating past their scheduled closure dates while it also gave hundreds of coal plants an additional five years before they will need to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching into sources of drinking water. 
        Contact Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to urge them to oppose these moves by Trump to kill the proliferation of greener energy and to bolster his beloved coal industry—an industry that is probably the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. This is more evidence that he 1) is irrational and motivated by whims rather what is best for this country’s land and its people; and 2) cares only about further enriching the hugely wealthy fossil-fuel companies and his billionaire cronies; the health and safety of the American people is of no interest to him. Our legislators must act to reverse both recent orders. 
     

    5) Keep fighting ICE by boycotting companies that are enabling it: 
        Choose at least one of these companies that you already do business with and boycott them (https://icelist.is/boycott/). Contact their CEOs and boards to let them know you are doing this and why. Post about it on social media and ask friends and family to do the same. 

         If you’re a Spotify or Pandora user, here are some replacement possibilities that aren’t complicit in supporting ICE: 

    • Tidal (www.tidal.com): Artist-owned, transparent royalty model, and no record of hosting ICE or DHS recruitment campaigns.  
    • Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/home): Operates under strict ad-placement standards and does not run third-party government recruitment ads.  
    • SomaFM (www.somafm.com): Over 30 unique channels of listener-supported, commercial-free, underground/alternative radio broadcasting to the world. All music hand-picked by SomaFM’s award-winning DJs and music directors. 
    • LuxuriaMusic (www.luxuriamusic.com): Unique, eclectic, and diverse Internet radio programming.  
       

    6) Watch the CBS CECOT prison story that was pulled off the air: https://archive.org/details/60minutes-cecotsegment 

    7) Learn what we might do to fight in 2026: 
    Read this short article (https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/what-you-can-do-in-2026) and do what you can. 
     

    8) Maine-specific actions:  

    If you are so inclined, help get Graham Platner on the ballot: 
         If you want to help collect signatures to get Graham on the ballot, sign up now: https://www.mobilize.us/grahamformaine/event/871380/  

    Support making solar energy more affordable for Mainers: 
         LD 1730: An Act to Make Small, Portable, Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis is being carried over to the new legislative session of 2026. This bill, sponsored by Senator Nicole Grohoski, would create a new category for small plug-in solar generation devices less than or equal to 1,200 watts, eliminate interconnection requirements for these devices, and establish basic safety requirements. You can read the latest concept draft of this bill here: https://legislature.maine.gov/backend/App/Services/getDocument.aspx?documentId=121199 
         A hearing is scheduled for January 6th, this coming Tuesday. You can join the Zoom hearing or submit written testimony here: www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/  Choose “Public Hearing” and then for committee choose “Energy, Utilities, and Technology,” and then the date, Jan. 6, 2026, 1pm. Written testimony can be submitted any time between now and the day of the hearing. 
         If any of your legislators are on this committee, you should also contact them directly. For local (Hancock County) folks, note that the sponsor of this bill is Hancock County’s state senator. 
         Members of the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee: 
    Senate:  
    Mark Lawrence, Chair (D-York) 
    Nicole Grohoski (D-Hancock) 
    Matthew A. Harrington (R-York) 
    House:  
    Melanie F. Sachs, Chair (D-Freeport) 
    Christopher J. Kessler (D-South Portland) 
    Valli D. Geiger (D-Rockland) 
    Sophia B. Warren (D-Scarborough) 
    Walter Gerard Runte, Jr. (D-York) 
    Kilton M. Webb (D-Durham) 
    Steven D. Foster (R-Dexter) 
    Nathan J. Wadsworth (R-Hiram) 
    Reagan L. Paul (R-Winterport) 
    Mathew David McIntyre (R-Lowell) 
     

    p.s. If you haven’t done all the actions in these emails and have the energy and/or the time, don’t forget to go back to previous Action Items emails to redo actions you feel strongly about or to do some you haven’t done yet. If, on the other hand, you want more Action Items than I’m able to provide these days, check out https://indivisiblebangor.org/call-to-action/. You’ll see my most recent emails there, too, but a lot of other stuff from Indivisible Bangor, Indivisible Mid Maine, Hancock County Democrats, and Washington County Democrat. 

    Yours in Civic Action

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance