Our Policy Priorities
For the 132nd Legislature, 2nd Regular Session (2025).
We advance policy efforts developing equitable & accessible government systems, building care infrastructure and economic equity, ensuring reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, and ending gender-based and carceral violence.
Our priority bills are developed based on our biennial Road Map for Gender Justice. For more details on how we set our policy agenda each session, check out the overview of our legislative framework.
Please note that this is a “live list” that we update information on regularly as the final slate of bills for this session is published.
For the most up-to-date info on the progress of our priority bills, gender justice-related bills led by partner organizations that we're proud to support, and bills that we're opposed to, check out our bill tracker.
Developing Equitable
& Accessible Government Systems
SUPPORT: LD 818 “An Act to Allow Expenditure of Maine Clean Election Act Funding for the Care of Candidates' Dependents”
Reforming Maine’s Clean Election Act to include dependent care as an approved campaign expense, achieving parity with traditional campaign financing.
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Increasing the representation of everyday families at all levels of government helps ensure family-friendly policy: with representation comes representative policy, led by lawmakers who draw from their direct lived experiences. Caregivers, including parents with young children are less likely to run for office and only 5.3% of state legislators are mothers with children under eighteen. This bill would allow candidates running for office to use “clean election” public funding to cover costs associated with caring for dependents throughout their campaign. Removing barriers for all caregivers, including mothers who are disproportionately impacted by caregiving responsibilities, so they are able to participate in public services is crucial to ensuring broad representation in government.
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This bill has been “carried over” for remaining work during the next session.
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Check out our testimony HERE.
These bills work to bring fairness into the tax code in order to restore the State resources that help us build the infrastructure our families need to thrive.
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LD 1089, “An Act to Permanently Fund 55 Percent of the State's Share of Education by Establishing a Tax on Incomes of More than $1,000,000,” LD 1047 “An Act to Impose an Additional Tax on Certain Unearned Income,”, and LD 1082“An Act to Invest in Maine's Families and Workforce by Amending the Real Estate Transfer Tax are key bills intending to create a more fair state tax code and raise revenue for the state.
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LD 1089: This bill has been “carried over” for remaining work during the next session.
LD 1047: Did not pass committee and has “died”
LD 1082: Did not pass the floor votes and “died”
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SUPPORT: LD 395 An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations
Restoring the Wabanaki Nation's inherent right to self-determination and self-governance.
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A legislative Task Force was created in 2019 to identify legislative recommendations to rectify the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act which denied the Wabanaki Nation’s inherent right to tribal sovereignty. The Task Force’s report contains 22 consensus recommendations which the Legislature has considered in various bills over the past few sessions. This bill again brings forward the recommendations from the Task Force in an ongoing effort to restore the Wabanaki Nation's inherent right to self-determination and self-governance and extend access to Federal laws that the Wabanaki Nation has previously been excluded from.
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This bill has been “carried over” for remaining work during the next session.
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For more information on the work of our partners at the Wabanaki Alliance, head over to their website: www.wabanakialliance.com/
Building Care Infrastructure
& Economic Equity
SUPPORT: Childcare bundle
Investing in and strengthening child care infrastructure.
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There has been a systemic, generational lack of investment in care infrastructure in Maine, and nation-wide. The ‘workforce behind the workforce’ is almost entirely underpaid women, and when childcare systems fall through, it is almost entirely women who pick up the pieces by stepping out of the workforce. There are several important bills aiming to strengthen the child care system, including
LD 1955: An Act to Increase Child Care Affordability and Early Childhood Educator Stability
LD 1736: An Act to Increase the Supply of Child Care Services Through the Use of Contracts
LD 1859: An Act to Improve Access to Child Care and Early Childhood Education by Establishing Regional Resource Hubs
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LD 1955 was passed by the legislature (stripped of funding) and await final action from the Governor
LD 1736 was passed into law (unsigned by the Governor)!
LD 1859 was passed through the legislature and has been “carried over” on the appropriations table to stay eligible to receive needed funding next session.
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SUPPORT: LD 60 “An Act to Allow Employees to Request Flexible Work Schedules”
Allowing employees to request a flexible work schedule and includes protections against retaliation for requests.
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Care responsibilities requiring time away from work disproportionately fall on women. A lack of flexibility in work schedules too often cause women to work part time or leave the workforce altogether. This bill would allow employees to request a flexible work schedule and includes protections against retaliation for requesting flexible work arrangements. Creating more accommodations in the workplace allows women to stay in or re-enter full time employment which increases their earning potential, ability to access health insurance, save for retirement, and access full Social Security benefits in later life.
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After passing through the legislature, this bill has been “carried over” on the appropriations table to stay eligible to receive needed funding next session.
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Check out our testimony HERE.
SUPPORT: LD 54 “An Act to Require Employers to Disclose Pay Ranges and Maintain Records of Employees' Pay Histories”
Requiring employers to include pay range on posted positions and maintenance of a record of positions and their pay scales.
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The pay gap between men and women remains an ongoing barrier for women’s economic equity and security. In 2021 the median earnings gap for men and women in Maine who worked full-time was $9,991, with even lower earnings for BIPOC and indigenous women. This bill requires employers with 10 or more employees to ensure that any posting of an employment opening includes the position pay range, and employers must maintain a record of positions and their pay scales. This bill will increase pay equity and transparency, which will give historically-underpaid women and BIPOC people the ability to hold employers accountable to equal pay for all.
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After passing through the legislature, this bill has been “carried over” on the appropriations table to stay eligible to receive needed funding next session.
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Check out our testimony HERE.
Ensuring Reproductive
& Gender-Affirming Health
Investing in Maine’s 60+ family planning sites to ensure access to essential healthcare services are available, accessible, and affordable.
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Maine’s 60+ family planning clinics are essential to Maine's public health infrastructure and protecting the health of Maine’s women. Family planning clinics provide a range of healthcare services, including birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and full spectrum reproductive healthcare, which support the economic security, health, and wellbeing of Mainers. 35,849 individuals accessed care at these sites in 2022, showing their necessity and positive impact on Maine’s healthcare infrastructure, especially for those living in rural areas who may access the majority of their healthcare through these clinics. This bill would ensure the needed ongoing appropriations for family planning services in Maine to ensure these essential healthcare services are available, accessible, and affordable.
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This bill was passed by the legislature (and awaits final action by the Governor)!
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Check out our testimony HERE.
Ending Gender-Based
& Carceral Violence
Funding core victim services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
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This bill provides funding for sexual assault services, including raising compensation for sexual assault advocates to $45,000/year (up from the current average of $32,000). Sexual assault service providers help survivors navigate systems and heal from sexual violence. A stable workforce with adequate compensation is required to ensure that those services remain available. This bill also funds organizations serving specific groups and communities impacted by sexual violence - including veterans, people with disabilities, and immigrant and refugee communities.
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This bill was passed by the legislature (and awaits final action by the Governor)!
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Check out our testimony HERE.
What Gender Justice Laws Passed Last Session (the 1st session of the 132nd Legislature)
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This law (LD 270 // Ch. 30) extends the Respite for Maine program and provides funding for Maine's caregivers, many of whom are women, to support their own mental and physical health as they care for others.
Informal caregivers, who are disproportionately women, are essential to Maine's long-term care system, providing millions of hours of unpaid assistance to loved ones due to age, illness, or disability. Many caregivers experience stress and or financial hardship because of leaving the workforce or reducing working hours to better care for their loved ones. The Respite for Maine program, piloted in 2022, provided caregivers with a stipend that funds temporary care, assistive technology, and training and counseling. The program succeeded in decreasing rates of caregiver stress and lowering their reported overall burden. Of the pilot participants, seventy-five percent of participants were women.
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This resolve (LD 1523 // Ch. 89) paves the way to ensure doula services are eligible for MaineCare insurance reimbursement at a sustainable rate will enable more Mainers to have access to doula care, while also ensuring a stable doula workforce. Perinatal health outcomes and maternal mortality remains an ongoing crisis, with significantly worse outcomes for BIPOC pregnant people. Access to high-quality perinatal care in Maine is a growing challenge, especially for BIPOC pregnant people and those living in rural areas. This bill helps to improve access to Doula birth care workers who can support a pregnant person throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
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This law (LD 865 // Ch. 468) expands MaireCare coverage for independent Lactation Consultants. While a range of lactation support services are covered under many private insurance plans, many are not covered under MaineCare. This leaves too many parents without access to these services– paying out of pocket is rarely feasible especially during an already expensive time period. This bill would expand MaireCare coverage for independent Lactation Consultants. Ensuring that all new parents, including those in the MaineCare program, are able to access lactation consulting services is a key way to promote infant and parental health and safety. Expanding reimbursement eligibility is also a key way to sustain and stabilize the Lactation Consultant workforce– a workforce that is women-led and dominated.
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This law (LD 163 // Ch. 445) requires all insurance policies to provide coverage for nonprescription, over-the-counter oral hormonal contraceptives approved by the FDA. Expanding options for family planning promotes economic security and reproductive autonomy. The cost and logistical challenges of obtaining a prescription, compounded by challenges relating to work and childcare arrangements, create substantial barriers to contraception access - which disproportionately affect women who are rurally located, low-income, and without reliable access to transportation. By mandating insurance coverage of all FDA-approved over-the-counter contraceptive methods, this bill addresses financial barriers that hinder access to essential reproductive care.
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This law (LD 1079 // Ch. 472) directs DHHS to create and distribute informational materials on menopause and perimenopause to help grow awareness about menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms and treatments, and support those navigating this phase of their life. There is a consistent lack of reproductive and sexual health education however, with education on menopause and perimenopause being especially lacking. This leaves many women without critical knowledge related to changes in their body, menstrual cycles and hormones.
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This law (LD 246 // Ch. 402) requires a court to consider the impacts on the dependents of a defendant when determining an imprisonment term for a primary caregiver. Women are the primary caregivers for minors, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities at much higher rates than men. Additionally, 59% of caregivers for the elderly are women. This bill acknowledges the emotional and financial burden that arises when a primary caregiver is removed from a community or family, and underscores the importance of caregivers' roles and responsibilities.