We know that freedom doesn’t protect itself. We know that in a participatory democracy, every voice matters and no action is too small. Today, so many of our basic freedoms are under attack by Trump’s policies. Now, more than ever, we are each called to action.  We are each called to organize in our communities. We have been answering the call, and we have been showing up in the streets to vocalize opposition.

For so many of you, this is the first time you are engaging in protest and you are asking, “What’s next? What else can I do?” The time has come to go deeper. In response to the call to action and the overwhelming support the organization has seen in the months since the election, ACLU Nationwide is launching a new initiative. People Power is aimed to help organize grassroots mobilization for rapid response to Trump’s attempts at curtailing our hard-won civil liberties. This Saturday, March 11, ACLU will hold a “Resistance Training” in Miami, Florida. Via People Power, volunteers across the country will host events to view a live webcast of the training and plan local actions. Check the map to attend an event near you or sign up to be a host!

Faiz Shakur, National Political Director for ACLU Nationwide, describes the new effort best: “PeoplePower.org will use digital tools to communicate with and help train volunteers to resist President Trump’s unlawful policies across the country. The ACLU will promote ideas for action to defend sanctuary cities, resist deportation raids, oppose the Muslim Ban, maintain Planned Parenthood funding, and support other priorities. But the program will also seek to amplify organic, bottom-up grassroots actions. PeoplePower.org will be a one-stop hub for everyone looking to influence the national debate.”

During Saturday's Resistance Training there will be a specific call to action and opportunity to begin to organize actions with friends, neighbors, and other ACLU members. This decentralized model will be crucial to maintaining momentum for nation-wide priorities. But, I also want to take a moment to direct your attention to ACLU of Maine’s new action center.  Here you will find a calendar of local events and different ways to engage in local activism. There are some really concerning legislative priorities that we will continue to organize around and we are so grateful for your support.

ACLU of Maine is also planning a series of trainings to build capacity for the local resistance. Stay tuned, more details will be forthcoming! And if you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, there are still some available for our 29^th annual Scolnik awards dinner on April 18th!

The ACLU of Maine is urging the Maine legislature to reject several parts of the governor's proposed budget that raise significant constitutional concerns. We're also arguing that the LePage administration is misusing the budget process in an effort to ram through significant changes to Maine’s social safety net. 

Specifically, we urge the Legislature to reject LD 390 part ZZZ, which would eliminate the General Assistance program entirely; part EEEE, which would ban families from receiving food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) if a parent has been convicted of a drug felony – which until last year included possession of even miniscule amounts of most opiates – in the last 20.5 years; part FFFF-4, which would reduce the lifetime cap on receiving TANF to 36 months from 60 months; part HHHH, which would deny General Assistance specifically to asylum seekers; and part KKKK, which would repeal provisions in the law that require DHHS to provide certain benefits to asylum seekers.

These proposals raise significant constitutional concerns because they single out certain populations for unequal treatment, without serving any legitimate purpose to the state. Limiting or eliminating the public safety net for some children, asylum seekers and people who have battled drug addiction in the past will do great harm to many people, but it won’t save the state money or help people get their lives on track. We believe that good governance requires policy proposals based on actual data, not personal biases.

Further, we object to the LePage administration’s attempt to use the budget process to make major policy changes. The administration has made a habit of trying to circumvent the normal legislative process in order to pass policy proposals that have been rejected, sometimes repeatedly, by previous legislatures. The budget process is too complicated to allow for full public participation and deliberation on what amount to incredibly significant policy changes.

If parts ZZZ, EEEE, FFFF, HHHH, and KKKK had been proposed as individual bills, each would have a complete hearing with time for public testimony and thorough consideration by committee. Instead, these major proposals are buried in a several-hundred pages long bill, and will receive only an abbreviated amount of consideration.