The Maine Legislature passes new worker protections

In Maine, far too many labor violations go unreported. Even when workers do report their employers for a violation, the state agencies that oversee these complaints are often lacking the capacity to manage them.

Maine workers deserve recourse against workplace violations, but right now, bad employers hold all the power. The good news is, that’s about to change.

LD 1711, “An Act To Enhance Enforcement of Employment Laws,” passed through the Maine Legislature. Introduced by Senate President Troy Jackson, this bill will expand who whistleblowers can turn to when they have allegations of workplace or employer misconduct. If the state declines to take up the matter, for capacity reasons or otherwise, this gives workers the ability to proceed with a case using a private attorney designated by the state.

This bill not only helps to clear the way for whistleblowers to come forward, it also will provide them the ability to circumvent forced arbitration agreements. These agreements prevent workers from going to the courts if they believe their rights have been violated in some way.

Forced arbitration agreements are becoming more common, with many larger corporations forcing workers to sign these upon their employment. Oftentimes, employees aren’t even sure of what they are signing – believing the paperwork is part of a typical onboarding process.

The state agencies that usually take up these cases aren’t bound by these abusive agreements. LD 1711 ensures that private attornies representing whistleblowers won’t be, either.

Maine has some of the hardest working people in the country, and they deserve to know that, should they ever feel unsafe or abused in their workplace, that they can seek help and get support.

We’re grateful for Senate President Jackson and the Maine State Legislature’s leadership in expanding whistleblower protections! LD 1711 now heads to Governor Mills’ desk to be signed into law, vetoed, or to go into effect without her signature.

Maine Legislature Rejects Restrictive Voter ID Laws

Last week, Maine legislators voted down three bills designed to make it harder to vote. Committee reports for LD 557, “An Act To Require Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting”; LD 253, “An Act To Strengthen Maine's Election Laws by Requiring Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting”; and LD 1083, “An Act To Create a Voter Identification System” had all received recommendations that they ought not to pass.

Voter ID laws are a method of voter suppression, plain and simple. By requiring forms of identification that are expensive and that not everyone has, these laws disproportionately impact low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), over 21 million Americans (11 percent of the voting population) lack the identification needed to vote in states that require it. In many states, the accepted forms of identification are discriminatory in and of themselves. In Texas, for example, it’s possible to vote if you present a concealed weapons permit, but not a student ID. What’s worse, these laws are often passed as a way to combat “voter fraud,” which has been shown to be effectively nonexistent.

Maine is one of the most inclusive states in the country when it comes to voting rights. Voters can request absentee ballots without an excuse, we have several weeks of early voting, and we currently have the third-highest voter turnout rate in the country. We’re also the only state to use ranked-choice voting in federal and presidential elections.

“We should be proud of the work we have done in Maine to move us forward toward greater participation,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in testimony opposing the voter ID bills in April. “Implementing these bills would undermine the good, bipartisan work we have always done to protect Mainers’ voting rights.”

We couldn’t agree more. The best way to advance the values of Maine’s working families is to ensure unrestricted access to the ballot box. We applaud the lawmakers who chose to defend our democracy by voting against these regressive bills.

We Must Stand Up to Big Pharma

Mainers are being squeezed by rising healthcare costs. Nowhere is this more obvious than the sky-rocketing costs of prescription medication.

Tell the Maine Legislature: Keep prescription medication affordable.

When budgets are stretched, the first form of care that people are often forced to sacrifice is their prescription medication – even though medication is a critical part of care for many families.

Nearly 1 in 5 Mainers have gone without prescribed medication due to the cost at some point. Some families are forced to ration life-saving medication. Others have to forgo them entirely.

Meanwhile, Big Pharma keeps hiking up their prices, purely for the sake of profit. According to the AARP, prescription drug costs are rising at twice the rate of inflation. There is no justification for this – especially when the cost of prescription medication in the United States is already over 2.5 times higher than in other developed countries.

Thousands of Mainers, young and old, rely on medication to live safe and healthy lives. We can’t let the greed of Big Pharma go unchecked.

The Maine Senate just passed two separate bills (LD 1117 and LD 675) that would protect Mainers from the price-gouging of prescription drugs, and prevent big drug companies from increasing their prices without legitimate justification. These bills now go to the House for a vote.

No one should have to choose between putting food on the table or affording their prescribed medication. Add your name to our petition to tell the Legislature: Every Mainer should be able to afford their prescription medication.