Action Under the Dome For Monday, Jan. 29

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Monday, January 29, 2024
Jen Lancaster
 

It's Monday, January 29.

Advocacy Day is just around the corner! Want to meet your Maine legislator? Want to learn how to lobby them on the big issues? We're celebrating our 104th birthday in League-style, and we want you to come to Advocacy Day in Augusta on February 15. We're tackling big things like the National Popular Vote, gun safety, tribal sovereignty, and money in politics. Then, we'll have 🍵 tea at the Blaine House in the afternoon. Save your spot now and RSVP here.
 
Thank you, Lane! 
In the 3+ years they have been our Organizer, many of you have gotten to know Lane Sturtevant's intelligence, good humor, and passion for justice. From leading our work on tribal sovereignty to coordinating the Local Government team and our Guide to Local Government in Maine, to supporting local Leagues, Lane has made a deep impact on Maine's democracy.
Though we are sad to say goodbye, we are very grateful for everything Lane has done, and wish them all the best in their new role with the Maine Community Foundation!
 
Here are your weekly updates đź‘‡
 
 

We only have one major update this week. In the meantime, we're keeping our eyes peeled for future public hearings and work sessions on National Popular Vote, gun safety, and tribal sovereignty. 

Avoiding the potential for disaster: 

  • SP 705  — Article V Constitutional Amendment: This is a joint resolution that could trigger two Article V Conventions to amend the U.S. Constitution, where one seeks to establish term limits for Congress and the other addresses money in politics and overturns the disastrous Citizens United decision. A quick recap: The League opposes  term limits, and we stick up for campaign finance reform. However, we oppose SP 705 because we think the Article V conventions won't be representative of the people, it'll open up an entire can of worms, and we don't know what could happen. The resolution was reported out of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee with a majority "Ought to Pass" report, and it now goes to the Senate floor. We'll watch this one closely.
 
 

Did you know that Maine now has semi-open primaries? With the presidential primary around the corner on March 5, it’s important to know that unenrolled voters can now vote in the primary of their choice. And it's the first time that Mainers will use Ranked Choice Voting in a presidential primary. Here's our quick voter guide to the election.
 
The Maine Gun Safety Coalition submitted an op-ed recently to the Bangor Daily News that outlines our top priorities:

"The [coalition has] agreed on four policy priorities: background checks on all gun sales; a 72-hour waiting period to buy a gun; an assault weapons ban; and a â€śred-flag” law that will empower courts to order the temporary removal of guns from people with demonstrably high risk of extremely dangerous behavior." Read the full op-ed read.