It was a long day in the Judiciary Committee for the ACLU of MAINE today. In the morning, the Committee discussed LD 1046, which would allow discrimination against transgender Mainers with regards to public accommodations. Republican Representative Brad Moulton joined all of the Democrats and Independent Senator Doug Woodbury in voting "no" to this discriminatory proposal.
Shortly after a late lunch, the Committee took up three anti-abortion bills. Again, a bi-partisan majority rejected all three proposals, which included a 24-hour mandated delay for abortion, a biased scripting bill, and parental consent for abortion.
Late in the afternoon, the Committee assessed LD 31, which would have prohibited minors from accessing contraception or treatment for sexually transmitted infections without parental consent. Senator Woodbury and Senator Phil Bartlett talked about their experiences of dads. As they said, and I paraphrase, we all want the same thing: healthy parent/child communication. But where that doesn't or can't exist, a parent's first priority is their child's safety and that means access to confidential medical care. The committee voted 9 to 1 to reject LD 31. That left LD 746, a bill that would have prohibited mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment without parental consent. The Committee quickly voted 9 to 1 to reject that bill too.
Because the votes were not unanimous, we still anticipate floor fights on all of these bills. But it was wonderful to see the Judiciary Committee work through these difficult issues and come down on the side of common sense. Maine's laws -- including informed consent, counseling, and adult involvement for abortion -- are working.
Thanks to the hundreds of ACLU of MAINE members who shared your views by signing the petition at www.meparents.org or emailed your legislators or came to the hearings or spoke out at our press conferences. Many thanks to our organizing team including Brianna Twofoot, Heather Martin, and Ellen Anderson. Many thanks to our ACLU of MAINE lobby team including Alysia Melnick, Zach Heiden, and our Republican contract lobbyist from Verrill Dana/Maine Street Solutions, Kim Condon Lane. Together, members and staff of the ACLU of MAINE, we are making a difference.
