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Maine News
- 10/29/08 - States Team up vs. Mercury
- 10/24/08 - The Country's Largest Celebration of Organic Agriculture Grows More Relevant With Each Passing Year
- 09/30/08 - Underdog Tom Allen Attempts to Unseat GOP Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins
- 09/24/08 - Northeastern, West Coast Women Have High Mercury Levels
- 09/22/08 - Bladder Cancer Rates High in Region; Researchers Studying Why
- 09/22/08 - Farm Aid Concert Promotes Family Farms & Organics for 23rd Year
- 09/12/08 - Spurring Broadband Development through Maine's ConnectME Grants
- 09/12/08 - Protestors Promote Unionization
- 09/12/08 - A Water Fight in Maine
- 09/05/08 - Study: Women Living in Mercury's Shadow
- 08/22/08 - Man-Made Chemicals Tied to Sick Lobsters
- 08/22/08 - Grassroots Direct Action: San Francisco Voters Nov. 4 Will Tell Their Congress Reps to Defund the War
- 08/19/08 - Green Parenting in Maine
- 08/16/08 - Read This Book: Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen's Guide to Community Supported Agriculture
- 08/12/08 - Wind Power Firm Eyes Maine
- 07/29/08 - Want to Help the Economy? Buy Local
- 07/24/08 - Has Your Town Declared Peace Yet?
- 07/01/08 - Has Maine Set a Precedent on Anti-War Protests?
- 06/30/08 - States Taking Initiative on Environmental & Climate Crisis while Feds Do Little or Nothing
- 06/27/08 - Maine's Dirigo Health Faces Off Against Big Business
- 06/24/08 - Black Flies Surge in Maine's Clean Rivers
- 06/11/08 - Move Over MoveOn: Grassroots Netroots Alliance (GNA) Launches New Progressive Campaign to 'Press the Politicians'
- 05/15/08 - Center for American Progress: What Are You Paying for the War?
- 05/03/08 - Maine Town Bans GMOs
- 05/02/08 - Maine Jury Acquits Peace Activists For Senate Office Sit-In
- 05/01/08 - Uranium, Radon Testing of Well Water Neglected in Maine
- 04/23/08 - Despite Progress Made, Maine's Toxic Waste Sites Still Face a Lot More Work
Submit News Stories
PROTECT MAINE FARMERS
From www.protectmainefarmers.org
Tell your representatives to support the minority report on LD 1650.
Don't be bullied by Biotech's threats!!! Support informed policy making!!! Support a reporting requirement as part of LD 1650!!!
After a year of negotiations, compromises and hard work, the Agriculture Committee has finally voted An Act to Amend the Laws Concerning Genetically Engineered Plant and Seeds out of Committee and to the Floor of the House of Representatives. It will probably be voted on early next week, so take action now and tell your legislators to support the minority report.
The final amended version of the bill does some important things to protect Maine farmers, but still doesn't go far enough to provide our policymakers with all the information they need to make good decisions that effect the future of agriculture in Maine. The minority report out of the committee would add a measure to the bill that would require manufacturers of genetically engineered seed to submit an annual report to the Maine Department of Agriculture giving the total number of potential acres that could be planted in each type of genetically engineered crop. This would allow the Department of Agriculture to track the use of genetically engineered crops, see trends in their use, and be alerted to new crops coming into the state.
This seems like a simple thing: one number, once a year, to allow policymakers to make better informed decisions. Why wouldn't policymakers want this information? Why wouldn't policymakers want to make informed decisions? The biotechnology industry, along with many industrial agriculture sectors in the state are afraid that if the state requires seed manufacturers to report that total annual sales, the companies will pull their products from the state. Using this argument, they effectively removed the reporting requirement from the bill at the last minute. But we can put it back!!! Contact your legislators now and tell them a reporting requirement is not too much to ask.
Paradoxically, this argument about the burden for the company and the threat of their abandonment of the state was used when the Board of Pesticide Control was making regulations for Bt corn. Now that those regulations are in place, do we see the industry withdrawing from the state? No!! On the contrary, Monsanto has just submitted a new application to the BPC to register two additional Bt corn products. Are they threatened by the weak regulations put in place? NO!!! Should we let this threat prevent us from getting appropriate information for our policy decisions to be based on? NO!!! Tell your legislators to support the minority report. Lets make informed decisions. Lets pass a reporting requirement.
What would LD 1650 do?
It will bring Maine's definitions of genetic engineering up to date with international law.
It will establish the right of Maine farmers to be heard in a court located in Maine if they are sued by a seed manufacturer for patent violation as long as they don't have a current contract with that company.
It prevents farmers from being sued for patent violation if they have only a minimal presence of engineered genetic material in their corps, or if they didn't intend for it to be there.
It directs the Maine Department of Agriculture to establish Best Management Practices for the use of Genetically Engineered Crops.
What would the Minority Report do?
The minority report would add to the above a reporting requirement for the seed manufacturers to submit annual total potential acreage of all genetically engineered crops. These totals would be public information, but the individual numbers that the companies submit would be confidential.
Take action now to tell your legislators to support the minority report for LD 1650.
For more information please email Logan Perkins, logan[a]protectmainefarmers.org or call 207-615-5158 or 207-692-2571.
Last updated 3/25/2008.
Maine 2008 Legislative Roundup
(From Progressive States Network)
Overview: Maine lawmakers addressed a $190 million shortfall with unfortunate cuts to education and health care services for low-income and indigent Mainers, but fortunately continued to support the state's health care reform efforts. Lawmakers also passed a minimum wage increase from $7 to $7.50 over two years, strong protections for children from toxic chemicals, legislation to combine the state and county corrections systems while capping property taxes that will fund the new system at 2008 levels, and a model cable franchise agreement that municipalities can use to negotiate local video franchises.
Health Care Reform: Despite measurable success and continued efforts
at compromise, Maine's first-in-the-nation 2003 Dirigo
Health Reform initiative continues to be opposed by the health care industry
and big business interests. With a Robert Wood Johnson study
of health insurance trends showing Maine's success in stemming the tide of
rising uninsured rates, and reforms saving the Maine health care system more
than $190
million over the past year, the Legislature took action to build on that
success.
It enacted new funding for the public/private DirigoChoice
insurance program - increases in taxes on soda, beer and wine, and a 1.8%
premium assessment on all paid health insurance claims. DirigoChoice offers
comprehensive health insurance to individuals and small businesses with sliding
scale subsidies for enrollees with family incomes up to 300% of poverty. The
funding replaces the controversial Savings Offset Payment, which is an
assessment on health insurance claims that is directly proportional to
system-wide savings in health care achieved by the Dirigo Health reforms.
The new funding is being opposed
by business groups representing restaurants, grocers, and beer and wine
distributors, who are circulating a petition to place a question on the November
ballot that would overturn the new funding law. Working to oppose
the override is a new
coalition of health care groups, called Health Coverage of Maine and
includes the American Cancer Society, the Maine Medical Association, and AARP.
Cable Video Franchising: Lawmakers passed a model cable franchise agreement (LD 2133) that municipalities can use to negotiate local video franchises. The legislation will smooth-out the franchising process, institute strong community and consumer protections, and specify the issues municipalities should negotiate. The legislation will make the local franchising process much easier, reducing the justification for a statewide franchising agreement, which would limit local power and hurt consumers. The legislation was supported by the Maine Municipal Association, PEG, Common Cause, Community Television Association of Maine, and the state public advocate office.
Toxic Toys: The state passed a toxic toys bill (LD 2048) that requires the continual testing of toys and other consumer products and requires the use of safer alternatives when available. The bill also allows the state to participate in an interstate clearinghouse to share information on toxics and promote safer chemical use.
Green Buildings: Lawmakers also passed a statewide uniform building and energy conservation code (LD 2257 ), which some believe will help spur redevelopment on many of Maine's depressed main streets and replaces rules that varied from town to town.
Other Bills Enacted: The State also created tighter drivers' license rules to meet the Federal REAL ID requirements, tighter legislative ethics rules requiring greater financial disclosure and allowing citizens to file ethics complaints, and authorized $160 million in bonds for roads and bridges.
Noted Vetoes:
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The governor vetoed legislation designed to ease restrictions on gaming functions organized by non-profit and charitable organizations.
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Citing budget constraints and concerns, the governor vetoed legislation that would have created a new state fund to attract venture capital and other investment to the state.
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The governor also vetoed legislation that would have tightened the rules by which a person convicted of a sex crime needs to register as a sex offender. The legislation was designed to differentiate between dangerous criminals and individuals less likely to commit a new crime and was spurred, in part, from a state supreme court opinion that the state's sex offender law could be unconstitutional because it retroactively increases punishments for people who have already completed their sentence.
Other Notable News: The Maine Senate passed National Popular Vote (LD 1744), but the House failed to follow suit.
Take Action. Support Green Jobs!
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program as an amendment to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Green Jobs Act (GJA) is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries - including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."
Congress has not yet appropriated money for the Green Jobs Act. Please contact your Senator today and urge them to fund the Green Jobs Act of 2007!
Read more at Green for All's web site.
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