News & Commentary

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.

Approximately 20 million Americans, myself included, report some type of hearing problems.  As we age, this problem only grows more acute.  Hearing loss affects a staggering 29% of persons 65 and older.

As the 2014 legislative session comes to a close, I’m still holding my breath for five bills that have made their way to the governor’s desk. The governor has until next week to decide whether to sign, veto, or let the bills pass into law without signature.

The passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973 didn’t just secure women’s constitutional rights to privacy and autonomy in their reproductive health decisions, it also drastically reduced the number of women who die due to complications from illegal abortions. The estimated number of abortions performed in the US has not changed much since the passage of Roe v. Wade. Prior to Roe, it was estimated that approximately 1 million women terminated their pregnancies. In 2008, that number was 1.21 million. In 2011, that number dropped to 1.06 million. These numbers tell us the importance of keeping abortion legal – regardless of legislation, women who find themselves facing an unwanted pregnancy may still attempt to terminate their pregnancies. If abortion isn’t legal, some women will seek out illegal means to end their pregnancies. 

This week PBS Frontline is airing “Solitary Nation” - a look at the use of solitary confinement here in Maine. Filmmakers spent hundreds of hours in the Maine State Prison documenting the facility’s use of the "Special Management Unit" or SMU.

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.

In case you forgot, TWELVE YEARS after the first detainees were brought to the detention center at Guantanano Bay, we still have not managed to complete the special military trials of the men who stand accused of the 9/11 attacks. Twelve years after those attacks, family members of the victims still travel to Gitmo to watch the trials, and they are still met with errors and delays. 

As we witness a state by state erosion of abortion rights, we can clearly see particular patterns of attacks that have emerged. Because the right to safe and legal abortion has been guaranteed by the Constitution, state legislators are unable to ban abortions outright. In the past few years, anti-choice advocates and legislators have sought to circumvent the Constitution by introducing bills that chip away at abortion access. Two weeks ago, I wrote about one type of attack – TRAP laws. While these laws don’t directly ban abortion, they introduce unnecessary procedures and regulations that, in the end, limit the availability of abortion services. 

Yesterday, the Maine House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of LD 1686 – a bill that would expand access to the life-saving opioid antagonist, Naloxone (also known as Narcan). If passed, LD 1686 would allow first responders, police and family members of someone at risk of an overdose to possess and administer Naloxone.