Not only is this an exciting step for same-sex couples across the country, it also reveals the extraordinary power of just a few voices speaking for social change – the case was brought forward by two gay couples. And now it will begin its journey through the legal world until it reaches the high and mighty Supreme Court.

But wait…there’s more!

It’s time to get out our thank-you notes once again. Sens. Snowe and Collins supported a $26 billion funding bill to provide helpful aid for states to fund education and Medicaid. In Maine, this means about $77 million to the state’s General Fund and an additional $39 million for local aid to help school districts in need and protect teachers’ jobs. The spending package provides a much-needed supplement to the state budget  to go towards programs that disproportionally benefit women. Find out more here.

With these exciting announcements, four Republican Senators have now pledged their support of this groundbreaking nominee.

If Elena Kagan is confirmed as our next Supreme Court justice, she will be only the fourth woman to join the bench in the Court’s 221-year history.  What’s more, three women will take their seats on the Court for the first time in United States history.

We want to sincerely thank our Senators for their decisions.  When they cast their votes in support of Elena Kagan next week, this potential boost to women’s presence in the judiciary might become a reality.

Word from Portia Wu , Vice President at the National Partnership for Women and Families, from  inside the event was that Lilly Ledbetter was star of the show.  No surprise there! Lilly headlined an event here in March with her story about fighting pay discrimination at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

Here’s hoping she continues to pound the pavement – I mean the halls of the U.S. Senate office buildings. Meantime we’re going to do all we can in Maine to get this bill passed once and for all. As the V.P. says: “Step Up, Man!”

A full vote in the Senate is expected before the August recess.

If you haven’t already, you can get involved and ask Senators Snowe and Collins to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

The bill is filled with good things, including curbing excessive lending practices and ensuring that banks do not act irresponsibly in the pursuit of profit. Banks must be more accountable to consumers and the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will help protect people as they navigate financial transactions. Shareholders and creditors – and not taxpayers – will bear the losses when financial institutions fail. This means small businesses are also better off. As a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Snowe had Maine in mind when she cast her vote.

Collins was a key supporter of the bill’s Financial Stability Council, which will target poor lending standards. Since women were 41% more likely to receive subprime loans, they were hurt the most by the economic downturn, so this part of the legislation is especially relevant to women.

The House has already voted for the reforms, which will now move to the White House for President Obama to sign. Let’s all join in sending vibes of gratitude to Snowe and Collins for their help!

Though we are sad to report that the bill did not pass, we are proud that our voices reached our Senators in such a compelling way. We also remain hopeful that a compromise bill might be introduced after the July 4th recess.

Yesterday’s Maine Can Do Better Portland rally was a clear success. It was a beautiful day to be rallying downtown, and we enjoyed a wonderful turnout. You can read coverage from Channel 8, The Portland Press Herald, and The Bangor Daily News!

Want up-to-date news on SCOTUS and how you can be part of the process? Sign up here and be “in the know” when it comes to SCOTUS this summer.

(Augusta) Today in a news release, organizations representing Maine people celebrated the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“In selecting Judge Sotomayor to be his nominee to the highest court, President Obama has chosen someone who is superbly qualified and has outstanding legal credentials,” said Sarah Standiford, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby. “Moreover, Judge Sotomayor comes to the position with an unparalleled level of experience – three decades of experience at all levels of the law.”

Members of the Maine’s Fair and Independent Federal Courts Coalition lauded the historic nomination-and the wealth of experience that Judge Sotomayor would bring as a woman and as the nation’s first Latina nominee. Sonia Sotomayor grew up in the South Bronx, the daughter of parents from Puerto Rico. Despite the challenges her family faced, Judge Sotomayor attended Princeton and Yale Law School, served as an Assistant District Attorney, worked as a corporate litigator in a New York law firm, and went on to become the first Latina appointed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Over a career that spans three decades, Judge Sotomayor has worked at almost every level of the judicial system and brings an understanding of how the law affects the lives of every-day Americans.  

Said Kim Moody, Executive Director of the Disability Rights Coalition, “Maine’s Senators will have a critical role to play in the confirmation of this Supreme Court Justice. The confirmation process will allow the Senate and the American people the opportunity to learn even more about this very impressive nominee, her commitment to the rule of law, and the rights and liberties of all Americans.”

Maine‘s Fair and Independent Federal Courts Coalition was founded in 2004 to monitor appointments to the federal bench. Included among the 30+ members are Centro Latino, Disability Rights Center, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Family Planning Association of Maine, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine Women’s Lobby, NAACP Portland Branch, National Council of Jewish Women Southern Maine Section, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and Sierra Club Maine Chapter.

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Now, we get to celebrate again (ok, celebrate is the wrong word, since we’re essentially talking about how long into the 2009 year it takes a woman to earn, on average, what a man earned in 2008) or rather, *commemorate* Equal Pay Day on April 28. The American Association of University Women released a chart ranking us at number 22 among all the states for our gender wage gap. They have Maine women earning 78% of what men do. Our data has us at 76%… but we won’t trifle over pennies.

We want the whole dollar.

Here’s a good way to celebrate Equal Pay Day. Talk to Senator Snowe and Senator Collins about passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.