Today, Representative Kathleen Chase (R-Wells) asked the Judiciary Committee to kill her Arizona copycat legislation. The Judiciary Committee moved immediately into work session and unanimously killed it. It was a jubilant moment for all of us who had worked so hard over many months to prepare to stop Arizona-style profiling in Maine. The ACLU of MAINE had been prepared to sue to stop enforcement of LD 1496, which would have turned Maine into a "show me your papers" state. On Friday, ACLU of MAINE Public Policy Counsel Alysia Melnick shared that information with Representative Chase at a pivotal meeting on Friday with Chase, Rachel Talbot Ross of the NAACP, and Representative Joan Nass (R-Acton). Rachel Talbot Ross who arranged for the meeting shared her personal experience with racial profiling and spoke to the concerns of Maine's communities of color.
Maine Public Radio captured comments from Chase, Nass, and Talbot Ross after today's civil rights victory. You can listen to it here:
Lawmaker Changes Mind on "Arizona-style" Immigration Bill
The meeting was one of those magic things that happens when good people with strong opinions take the time to have a difficult conversation and attempt to find common ground. The MPBN story mentions tears and raised voices. That's an important lession: we have to raise our voices, and sometimes tears are warranted when such important principles are at stake. Sometimes honesty -- particularly in discussions of race and immigration -- is far more important than politeness.
Representative Chase also mentioned on MPBN that she had private qualms for weeks about the bill. For that, I think we can thank all of the good organizing work that has happened in recent months. The ACLU of MAINE and Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project worked hard to organize diverse opposition to the Arizona profiling bill starting back in January. We were successful in convincing diverse business leaders to speak out for sensible immigration policy, launching the Maine Compact in February. The Catholic Bishop Joseph Malone and a diverse group of clergy added their voices to the call for sensible immigration policy at a press conference in March. Law enforcement, business leaders, people of color, immigration advocates, and civil rights advocates were prepared to hold a press conference and a long public hearing today to air our concerns with Arizona-style profiling. All of us share a deep sense of relief that weeks of debate and months of litigation have been prevented. Best of all: No Mainer need fear state-sanctioned racial profiling. Your "papers" are safe at home for now.
