It is tough work – and often a moving target. Numbers change as you move through the process of building the budget. There are unexpected expenses – and revenues. Modification is often necessary.

Numbers change. But, where we begin doesn’t.

In order to make good decisions, we’ve all got to start from the same place.

In the last few weeks, getting your hands (let alone your head) around the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services has been akin to grabbing onto smoke. It’s not possible.

Today, Mark Sullivan, from the Maine Center on Economic Policy did a great job of articulating the budget process we’ve seen so far. You can read Mark’s piece here.

Mark ends his piece with this quote: “Unfortunately, the effects of this budget proposal are more than callous.  They are real, harmful, and irresponsible.”

I would say the same about the process.

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte Warren
Associate Director

PS: Have you subscribed yet? Click here to “stay in the know”.

Throughout this past year, we fought against roll-backs to child labor laws, chemical reform protections, reproductive freedom, same-day voter registration, and the Maine Human Rights Act.

We sent you action alerts, and you sent thousands of messages to law-makers. Click on the title to read the original alert.

And the winner is (now, I know that most people start with number five, and count down to number one … and there’s a bunch of fan-fare and hoopla and suspense … but, I’m not going to do it that way).

ahem.

And the winner is…

1. beards?

February 23, 2011 – This alert was about this (now famous) quote by Governor LePage, “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards.”

The Governor’s quote referred to a proposal to roll-back the chemical policy reform that Maine has been leading the nation with. Well, you said “not so fast, Governor.” You sent over 900 messages.

You helped to stop the roll-back.

2. Governor LePage Just signed the bill…

During the session, we fought hard to protect voting rights.  You sent almost 400 messages to legislators. The bill passed, and on June 21, 2011, Governor LePage signed a bill that would eliminate same-day voting rights in Maine. A group of Maine voters immediately gathered at the offices of the Maine Women’s Lobby to file an application to veto the bill. Throughout the summer, we all fought hard to protect voting rights in Maine.  And, on election day 2011, you stood proud with the rest of the Protect Maine Voting Rights Coalition to celebrate the successful people’s veto. The law that allows voters to register and vote on Election Day stands in Maine. Burn.

3. bathroom politics

The Maine Women’s Lobby has fought for civil rights for more than three decades. The victories – and critical protections – were hard won. During this past session, legislation was proposed that would undermine the Maine Human Rights Act and invalidate critical protections for transgender, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. You sent almost 350 messages to the legislature asking them to defeat a proposal that would scale back the Maine Human Rights Act. The proposal was defeated. Oh Yeah.

4. don’t script me

We saw four bad anti-choice bills this past session. I mean big bad scary bills – the kind they pass in Texas (sorry about that to all my Texan friends). This particular piece was in response to a bill that would have required a woman to listen to a (biased) script before she could make choices about her own body. You sent over 320 messages to law-makers asking them to protect a woman’s choice of whether – and when – to have children. All four bills were defeated. We do things a little differently up here in Maine than they do in Texas (again, apologies).

5. What’s Next – Running with Scissors?

Now this one. wow. This was about the proposed roll-back to child labor laws. I know, huh?

The 1800′s called and they want their regulations back.

YOU sent 920 messages. You protected Maine laws that had existed for over one-hundred years. Mainers believe that for our youth, school is their job.

For more in the Child Labor law realm, you can read: the boss ate my homework, Is exploitation the new business friendly?, Jobz v. skool, and lots of others by visiting our online archive.

All said and done, this year alone YOU’VE sent over 3,000 messages to law-makers. GOOD JOB – and thank you. Subscribe right now.

Please contribute right now to help us continue this important work.

Please share this post, using the tools to the left. And, help us build our influence by suggesting that your friends subscribe.

Happy New Year,

Charlotte Warren
Associate Director

Hold up, not so fast!

Moves are afoot in Washington, DC, with huge implications for women. The discussions surrounding the the impasse over the federal budget include considering cuts to Social Security as one way to bring down the deficit.

Social Security is so important to women, it’s urgent that we all step up and make sure that doesn’t happen.

Let’s review the facts:

Social Security does not contribute to the deficit. It’s fully funded by the employer and employee payroll tax (FICA), and the program currently has a $2.6 trillion surplus.

Social Security is critical for older Americans. For all but the wealthiest retirees, Social Security accounts for more than half their income.

Social Security currently keeps 53% of older Mainers from living in poverty.

Maine members of Congress need to hear from you today. Call now and demand no cuts to Medicaid or Social Security. 1-877-264-4226.

Women are a special concern for several reasons: On average, we live six years longer than men, so our financial resources have to last longer.

And, the majority of women enter retirement with fewer assets than men.

Typically, women earn less in midlife, we’re less likely to have private pensions, and we have shorter work careers with more interruptions, thanks to the family responsibilities we juggle throughout adulthood.

What can you do? Contact your Senators and Representative, and let them know: Social Security must never be used as a bargaining chip to balance the federal budget. Call 1-877-264-4226.

Frances Perkins, who had deep Maine roots and who was one of the architects of Social Security, would be proud!

And, speaking of Frances Perkins

You’re invited to the Frances Perkins Center’s 3rd Annual Garden Party!

Thursday, August 4, 2011 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

It’s a once-a-year event!

This year, they’re celebrating the reissue of The Roosevelt I Knew, Frances Perkins’s biography of FDR, which has been reprinted by Penguin Classics., with a new introduction by Adam Cohen. Adam will speak at the Garden Party about Frances Perkins, FDR, and how their vision of American society fares today.

Ellen directs Family Values @ Work, a network of state coalitions organizing to win paid sick days and paid family leave, of which the Maine Women’s Policy Center is a member.

Ellen is the former director of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women, and is a frequent national commentator.

Those who know Ellen or who have read her book (Taking on the Big Boys, Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business and the Nation) know that she is a witty communicator who combines deeply held values about how American policy must change to foster the success of families and the economy, with insightful perspective and storytelling.

Tickets for the Garden Party are $35 per person. To learn more and buy tickets, click here!

This week, Maine lawmakers stood firm against efforts to roll back access to reproductive health care and civil rights protections for transgendered Mainers.

The bills were defeated by wide margins—and for good reason.

In upholding Maine law, legislators put the health of Maine women and teens first and did not erect  unecessary barriers to comprehensive health care services.

In defending the Maine Human Rights Act, they refused to put the rights and safety of transgendered Mainers at risk. Click here to thank the Maine lawmakers who voted to protect the equality of all Mainers.

They took a stand for putting focus where it’s needed—jobs and the economy—rather than policing the personal, private decisions between women and their doctors.

Click here to find out how your legislators voted on these bills (the bill text is at the top of each page): L.D. 116, L.D. 924, L.D. 1457, and L.D. 1046.

The Bad (really, really bad).

Also this week, a majority of Maine lawmakers voted to eliminate Maine’s 38-year-old, same-day voter registration.

L.D. 1376 creates unnecessary barriers for prospective voters, and turns back the clock on our democracy.

Click here to see how your legislators voted on this bill.

The tabled.

The legislature is almost finished for the session, though there are critical decisions yet to make. But some bills were tabled and we’ll see them back on the table in January – including the attacks on collective bargaining.

One thing you can count on for sure – we’ll be right there fighting for you.

L.D. 1376, An Act To Preserve the Integrity of the Voter Registration and Election Process, eliminates Maine’s 38-year-old same-day voting registration and bans absentee voting two business days before Election Day.

This bill creates unnecessary barriers for prospective voters, and turns back the clock on our democracy.

Please contact your Senator right now and ask them to oppose L.D. 1376.

Why would anyone want to turn back the clock on voting rights?

There are real life consequences of making it harder for Mainers to register and vote.

Imagine a military service member who completes her service shortly before an election and returns home to Maine, not able to vote because she was not able to get to the registrar’s office in town before the deadline.

Imagine a busy single mom, recently moved to a new town, unable to find care for her children so she can get to the town office to register.

Their civic responsibility – their right to vote – is deferred.

This bill will disenfranchise the thousands of Maine citizens who rely on Election Day voter registration.

And to what end? What problem does this bill aim to fix?

Maine’s voting system works, and works well.

Please contact your Senator right now and ask them to oppose L.D. 1376.

Right now, the Maine Legislature is considering LD 1376, “An Act To Preserve the Integrity of the Voter Registration and Election Process.”

Integrity?

Don’t be fooled by the misleading title of this bill. LD 1376 does nothing but limit Maine voters’ access to their fundamental right to vote.

LD 1376 would eliminate same-day voter registration – resulting in decreased voter turnout. Period. The end.

Please email your legislator right now!

The end of same-day registration would mean disenfranchisement – plain and simple. Voters who rely most on same-day registration are those who are the most mobile, such as single moms, the young and first-time voters.

In the last Presidential election, Maine had the third highest voter participation in the country. In fact, the only states to surpass Maine were Minnesota and Wisconsin – two states that also have same day voter registration.

Maine takes pride in its strong voter turnout. Please email your legislators (right here with a couple of clicks) and ask them to reject any measure that would limit Mainers ability to vote!

The amended bill represents a very significant improvement over the initial bill that, as written, would have removed all hourly protections for teen workers, but – to be clear – it still represents a roll back to workplace protections for teens.

Read below for a statement from Laura Harper, our Director of Public Policy, on the vote:

“This law will take Maine in the wrong direction. At a time when Maine desperately needs to be creating jobs and a skilled workforce, we are undermining student success.

“Volumes of research demonstrate that once teens work over 20 hours a week, drop-out rates and even substance abuse rates increase. Further, studies show that the more hours teens work the more likely it is that their grades will decline.

“Adults need jobs. Teens need success in school to make a good living down the road. We urge lawmakers to put focus where it’s needed—creating jobs, increasing access to education, and sparking economic growth that will benefit kids, families, and our state.”

You can read her whole statement here.

The silver lining: We were successful in defeating L.D. 1346 (a bill that would have both increased the total number of hours a teen could work and create a sub-minimum wage for teen workers) and greatly modifying L.D. 516.

The truth: We couldn’t have done it without you! You and your friends, and your friends’ friends, sent a total of 860 emails and petition signatures, made phone calls, and showed up to the public hearings.

Your action helped kill L.D. 1346, and make L.D. 516 less extreme. So, THANK YOU!

Click here to check out some of the fantastic news coverage of the campaign (including some goodies from Rachel Maddow, and our own Laura Harper in the Huffington Post).

And, please take a minute right now to check out how your Senator and Representative voted on L.D. 516, and share your appreciation – or disapproval.

That’s why I’m writing to you today.

Believe it or not, we have A LOT to celebrate. Thanks to you, and your calls, emails, and visits to the State House we have – together – successfully defeated (and in some cases diminished) a myriad of dangerous roll-back proposals.

Here’s the skinny:

Child Labor: L.D. 1346, a bill to implement a sub-minimum wage for teen workers and eliminate hour-caps on teen labor during the school week, was killed in committee. L.D. 516, a bill to increase the number of hours a week a teen can work, is currently awaiting action in the House, but with much less drastic language. We still must work hard to defeat this bill but this amendment points us in the right direction.

Safe Chemicals: Attempts to roll back Maine’s Kid-Safe Products act were defeated, as lawmakers reached an agreeable compromise. And, the ban on the toxic chemical BPA was passed with near-unanimous support from the legislature and without the Governor’s signature!

Human Rights: The Judiciary Committee voted Friday “ought not to pass” on a bill to roll back human rights protections for transgendered Mainers – leaving Maine’s Human Rights Act intact! We still need to work hard to hold the line on the floor vote.

Reproductive Freedom: On Friday, the Judiciary Committee also voted “ought not to pass” on four anti-choice bills: a bill requiring parental consent for contraception, one requiring parental consent for abortion, one requiring a 24-hour waiting period, and one that would require doctors to read a biased and coercive script to a patient 24 hours before she could obtain an abortion. This vote was a victory for Maine’s longstanding, bipartisan tradition of reproductive privacy.

So, we have a lot to celebrate, AND a lot of work left to do.

Despite the good news for reproductive freedom reported out of the Judiciary Committee on Friday, we expect a contentious floor debate on all four of these anti-choice bills. Believe me, our lobbyist is working hard, but she needs your help!

Please email your legislator now and tell them to vote NO on all four of these anti-choice bills.

Your calls and emails have gotten us this far, so keep them coming.

The time to protect Maine’s women’s reproductive freedom and privacy is now. ]]> http://www.mainewomen.org/blogs/2011/05/heres-the-skinny/feed/ 0 http://www.mainewomen.org/blogs/2011/04/parents-want-whats-best-for-their-kids/ http://www.mainewomen.org/blogs/2011/04/parents-want-whats-best-for-their-kids/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:26:21 +0000 admin http://www.mainewomen.org/blogs/?p=2536 Are you a parent who wants to secure confidential medical care for your child?

Maine legislators need to hear from you now.

Parents want what’s best for their kids. They work hard to make sure that kids are well fed, well educated and safe.

LD 31, “An Act To Protect the Safety of Maine Children by Requiring the Express Consent of a Legal Guardian To Dispense Prescription Medication to a Minor” puts Maine teens at risk by eliminating their access to confidential health care.

Parents hope to always be the trusted adult in their teenager(s) lives – to share in their joys and disappointments – but understand this might not always be the case.

Good parenting is teaching children and teens who alternative “trusted adults” are. In elementary school it may have been a teacher or school nurse. Later in junior high, it was the coach, a religious leader, or maybe that special aunt who always listened.

Click here to read more, and to sign the petition for parents opposing LD 31, a bill that would require minors to obtain parental consent for prescriptions.

Have a heart for Maine children – attend the hearing on L.D. 1 on Valentine’s Day.

Governor Paul LePage has released a set of proposed regulatory roll-backs that would eliminate or dramatically weaken a broad range of laws meant to protect the health of Maine people – including the Kids Safe Products law.

If enacted, the Governor’s “Phase I Regulatory Reform Proposals” would direct Maine to weaken its environmental safeguards to the lowest levels acceptable at the federal level.

Please join us on Valentine’s Day, Monday, February 14, and tell the Committee you are AGAINST allowing toxic chemicals in toys, baby bottles, and sippy cups!

The hearing on L.D. 1 will be in front of the Legislative Regulatory Fairness and Reform Committee and will start at 9:00 a.m. in room 208 of the Cross State Office Building. We expect a day-long hearing. Any part of the day you can attend would be terrific.

There is a press conference happening in the Hall of Flags at noon, so if you can only sneak away for your lunch hour, join us then!

Please RSVP if you can attend.

(That was the love part.)

… And, now marriage.

As you may know, the Maine Women’s Lobby has been working hard to reach full marriage equality for Maine people.

The most powerful tool we have to engage Maine people as advocates for marriage equality are the personal stories of people like you.

That’s why I’m excited to share with you a new project recently launched by our partners, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and EqualityMaine:

MaineTheWayLifeShouldBe.org.

As we work toward achieving marriage equality in Maine, we want to be able to share the personal stories of same-sex couples who need the protection and security that only marriage can bring, as well as those from the supportive family members, neighbors, and friends who believe in full equality.

Please take a moment to visit MaineTheWayLifeShouldBe.org, read the stories of other people in your community, and, most importantly, submit your own personal story.

I hope you will join us.