[link removed] [[link removed]]Dear John,
That’s a wrap! July 20 officially marked the end of Maine's 2021 legislative session. And all of us who are passionate about tackling the climate crisis, strengthening our democracy, promoting environmental justice, and protecting Maine’s lands and waters have a lot to celebrate. This was a TREMENDOUS session for the environment and climate action!
We started this session Zooming on our computers and finished zooming around the halls of the State House. When folks ask me how we managed to secure so many historic wins during a global pandemic, my answer is YOU — our loyal members and allies — as well as incredible leadership from Governor Mills and many environmental champions in the legislature.
Thank you for working with us every step of the way — signing petitions, contacting your legislators, and sharing our Facebook [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Twitter [[link removed]] updates far and wide when the moment called for action.
Here are just a few of the highlights from this session that we’re excited about:
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7 of our 10 Environmental Priorities Coalition [[link removed]] priority bills became law this session!
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For the first time in decades and with bipartisan support [[link removed]] , the Land for Maine’s Future program received sizable and much overdue funding in Maine’s State Budget -- $40 million will be allocated to the program to help protect Maine’s farms, forests, fisheries, and more!
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Maine became the first state [[link removed]] to make big corporations responsible for the waste they create. In a few years, this program will be up and running and Maine taxpayer money won’t be covering the costs of Amazon and Walmart’s packaging waste anymore.
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ALL of our democracy priorities became law [[link removed]] ! Maine will soon have more absentee ballot dropboxes, the ability to register to vote right from a computer, students using their university IDs to vote for the first time, and more!
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With youth climate groups taking the lead, Maine signed historic fossil fuel divestment legislation into law! Maine will abandon nearly $1.3 billion in fossil fuel holdings. This first-in-the-nation legislation [[link removed]] aligns Maine money with Maine values and sets the state apart as a national climate action leader.
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The bees, butterflies, and birds of Maine are all better off with legislation to ban the use of several harmful pesticides from our state. This was a big win for Maine’s pollinators [[link removed]] !
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Balloons don’t belong in Maine’s wild places and this session, our lawmakers agreed [[link removed]] . Legislation to define releasing balloons as littering was a victory for our beautiful state, natural spaces, wildlife, and communities.
What’s next for us? We’re getting right to work on Maine’s 2021 Environmental Scorecard — one of our most powerful tools available to keep lawmakers accountable to protecting Maine’s environment, democracy, and equity future.
Our eyes are also focused on Washington where President Biden and Congress are negotiating a massive, multi-trillion dollar investment in our nation's infrastructure. This kind of investment would be a game-changer for jobs, our economy, and especially our climate future.
We need good-paying clean energy jobs. We need stronger investments in clean public transportation, affordable EVs, efficient homes and businesses, clean energy, natural resource industries, clean drinking water, all with a focus on rural and burdened communities. And we need to ensure a fair, equitable and just transition to a new, green economy.
You can join us in pushing our federal delegation to help secure comprehensive climate action in our nation’s infrastructure package here [[link removed]] .
Stay tuned for more info about how Maine stands to benefit from a climate-centered infrastructure bill. As always, thank you for being our partner in this work.
Gratefully,
Beth
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