AUGUSTA – The halls of the State House were filled with Maine women wearing red to raise the visibility of women as policy decisions are made by the Maine Legislature in 2014. The press conferenceannouncing their legislative priorities was part of Maine Women’s Day at the State House. The event, organized by the Coalition for Maine Women, was a chance to let lawmakers know that women will be watching and speaking up when policy decisions are being made.
The Coalition for Maine Women (CMW), a diverse network of organizations working to improve the social, economic, and political status of women and to promote the equality of all Maine citizens holds the annual event to remind elected leaders to remember the importance of Maine women when they are making decisions about public policy.
The policies highlighted during the press conference included ensuring that Maine has a fair supplemental budget that prepares the state and its citizens for the future; passing LD 1578, An Act to Increase Health Security by Expanding Federally Funded Health Care for Maine People; and passing LD 156, Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Concerning Early Voting and Voting by Absentee Ballot. CMW will also fight bills that will rollback progress for women. As Eliza Townsend, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby, stated in her remarks, “We don’t have a minute to waste on unnecessary legislation, whether it undermines existing law in the name of religious freedom, or it is an attack on women living in poverty.” One bill that the CMW will be opposing is LD 1428, An Act to Protect Religious Freedom, because it is unnecessary and harmful for Maine women. The group will also fight efforts to weaken the tools we have to help build pathways out of poverty for Maine women and families because when women thrive, we all thrive.
The following quotes are from the Press Conference held at 11:00 AM in the Hall of Flags:
Halcyon Blake, Founder of Halcyon Yarn located in downtown Bath:
“In order to provide real solutions to poverty we must set aside the unjust stereotyping that can only divide us. We must address the real problems that we face together. This requires cooperation and an honest effort to work together to build stronger communities and a better Maine for all of us.”
Ann Woloson, Policy Analyst, Maine Equal Justice Partners:
“Health care has long been a fundamental policy priority for women, reflecting our experiences with the healthcare system as patients, mothers, and caregivers for frail and disabled family members. Affordability of care is a key issue for women, who are disproportionately low income. Women are consistently more likely than men to report a wide range of cost-related barriers to care for themselves and their families, such as skipping needed care and forgoing prescription medicines because of the out-of-pocket costs. For these reasons, as women, we are particularly focused on addressing inadequate access to health care and finding solutions to poverty; providing MaineCare coverage to nearly 70,000 Maine people will do just that.”
Oamshri Amarasingham, Policy Counsel, ACLU of Maine:
“Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, and we should all embrace policies that make it easier for people to exercise that right. It’s time to implement true early voting, expanding access to the voting process and making it easier for working moms, and all hard-working Mainers, to make their voices heard.”
Danna Hayes:
“Legislation like LD 1428 would open the door to employers scrutinizing female workers’ private behavior and freely discriminating against those whose choices do not conform to an employer’s religious beliefs. Condoning this type of conduct would result in significant steps back for women’s equality.”
Eliza Townsend, Executive Director, Maine Women’s Lobby:
“We call on the Governor and lawmakers to demonstrate leadership by passing a fair supplemental budget that meets the state’s responsibilities. We must address the estimated $200 million dollar gap between revenues and expenses. Our elected leaders should do so in a way that benefits all Maine people and paves the way for future success. Spending decisions must be grounded in reality, not stereotypes, anecdotes or ideology. We can afford to invest in healthy families and education, two proven strategies to build our workforce and get our economy moving, if we eliminate ineffective tax breaks and wasteful subsidies.”
AAUW ● ACLU of Maine ● Business and Professional Women Maine ● Family Planning Association of Maine ● League of Women Voters of Maine ● Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center ● Maine Centers for Women, Work, & Community ● Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault ● Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence ● Maine Equal Justice Partners ● MaineNOW ● Maine Women’s Health Campaign ● Maine Women’s Lobby ● Maine Women’s Policy Center ● N.A.S.W. Maine Chapter ● National Coalition of Jewish Women – Southern Maine ● Planned Parenthood of Northern New England ● WAGE Project
The Coalition for Maine Women is a network of progressive organizations working to improve the social, economic, and political status of women and to promote the equality of all Maine citizens. Through their collaboration CMW promotes education and advocates for legislation that enhances the freedom and dignity of women. CMW will resist any attempts to abridge these rights.
