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I was talking to one health plan sponsor, and she told me if she sees any charges for value-based care anything on any one of the contracts that get handed to her, she crosses them off so fast it's like her superpower. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. What, you may wonder? Shouldn't employers and plan sponsors be all over value-based care–type things to do things preventatively because we all know that fee-for-service rewards, downstream consequences–type medical care, no money in upstream. Let's prevent those things from happening. Listen to the show with Tom Lee, MD (EP445); Scott Conard, MD (EP391); Brian Klepper, PhD (EP437). My goodness, we have done a raft of shows on this topic because it is such a thing. So, why wouldn't a plan sponsor be all over this value-based care opportunity? Now, I'm using the value-based care words and big old air quotes. Let's just keep that very much in mind for a couple of minutes here. I'm stressing right now that value-based care isn't a one-to-one overlap with care that is of value. So, let me ask you again, why wouldn't a plan sponsor be all over this air-quoted value-based care opportunity? Let me count the ways, and we'll start with this one. Katy Talento told me about this years ago. She said, it's not uncommon for dollars that a plan sponsor may pay to never make it to the entity that is actually providing the care to that plan sponsor's plan members. So, I'm a carrier and I say, I'm gonna charge you, plan sponsor, whatever as part of the PEPM (per employee per month) for value-based care or for a medical home, or pick something that sounds very appealing and value-like. Some of that money—not all of it, because the carrier's gonna keep some, you know, for administrative purposes—but whatever's left over could actually go to some clinical organization. Maybe it's the clinical organization that most of the plan's members are attributed to. Or maybe it's some clinical organization that the carrier is trying to make nicey nice with, which may or may not be the clinical organization that that plan sponsor's patients/members are actually going to. Like, the dollars go to some big, consolidated hospital when most of the plan's members are going to, say, indie PCPs in the community, as just one example. So, yeah, if I'm the plan sponsor in this mix, what am I paying for exactly and for how many of my members? I've seen the sharp type of plan sponsors whip up spreadsheets and do the math and report back that there ain't much value in that value-based care. It's a euphemism for, hey, here's an extra fee for something that sounds good, but … The end. Then I was talking to Marilyn Bartlett the other day and drilled down into some more angles about how this whole “hey, let's use the value-based care word to extract dollars from plan sponsors” goes down. Turns out, another modus operandi beyond the PEPM surcharge is for carriers to add “value-based fees” as a percentage increase or factor to the regular claims payments—something like, I don't know, 3.5% increase to claims. These fees are, in other words, hidden within billing codes. So, right, it's basically impossible to identify how much of this “value-based” piece of the action is actually costing. These fees are allowable, of course, because they're in the contract. The employer has agreed, whether they know it or not, to pay for value-based programs or alternative pay, even though the details are not at all, again, transparent. And that not at all transparent also includes stuff like, what if the health systems or clinical teams did not actually achieve the value-based program goals? What if they failed to deliver any value-based care at all for the value-based fees they have collected? How does anybody know if the prepaid fees were credited back to the plan sponsor, or if anything was actually accomplished there with those fees? Bottom line, fees are not being explicitly broken out or disclosed to the employers. Instead, they are getting buried within overall claims payments or coded in a way that obscures the value-based portion. So, yeah, charges for value-based care have become a solid plan to hide reimbursement dollars and make carrier administrative prices potentially look lower when selling to plan sponsors like self-insured employers. Justin Leader touches on this in episode 433 about the claims wire, by the way. Now, caveat, for sure, it's possible that patients can get services of value delivered because someone uses that extra money. And it's also possible that administrative costs go up and little if any value is accrued to patients, right? Like one or the other, some combination of both. It goes back to what Dr. Tom Lee talked about in episode 445. If there's an enlightened leader who gives a “shed,” then indeed, patients may win. But if not, if there's no enlightened leader in this mix, it's value based alright for carrier shareholders who take bad value all the way to the bank. Al Lewis quotes Paul Hinchey, MD, MBA, who is COO of Cleveland-based University Hospitals. And Dr. Hinchey wrote, “Value-based care has increasingly become a financial construct. What was once a philosophy centered on enhancing patient care has been reduced to a polarizing buzzword that exemplifies the lack of alignment between the financial and delivery elements of the healthcare system.” And then on the same topic, I saw William Bestermann, MD, he wrote, “The National Academy of Medicine mapped out a plan to value-based care 20 years ago in detail. We have never come close to value-based care because we have refused to follow the path. We could follow it, but we don't, and we never will as long as priorities are decided by businessmen representing stockholders. It is just that simple.” Okay, now. Let's reset. I'm gonna take a left turn, so fasten your seatbelts. Just because a bunch of for profit and not-for-profit, nothing for nothing, entities are jazz-handing their ways to wealth by co-opting terminology doesn't mean the intent of value-based care isn't still a worthy goal. And it also doesn't mean that some people aren't getting paid for and providing care that is of value and doing it well. There are, for sure, plenty of examples where an enlightened leader was able to operationalize and/or incentivize care that is of value. Occasionally, I also hear a story about a carrier doing interesting things to pay for care that is of value. Jodilyn Owen talked about one of these in episode 421. Justina Lehman also (EP414). We had Larry Bauer on the show (EP409) talking about three bright spots where frail elderly patients are getting really good care as opposed to the really bad care that you frequently hear about when you even say the words frail elderly patient. And all of these examples that he talked about were built on a capitated model or on a model that facilitated patients getting coordinated care and there being clinicians who were not worried about what code they were gonna put in the computer when they helped a patient's behavioral health or helped a patient figure out how they were gonna get transportation or help them access community services or whatnot. There are also employers direct contracting with health systems or PCPs and COEs (Centers of Excellence) and others, contracting directly with these entities to get the quality and safety and preventative attention that they are looking for. And there are health systems and PCPs and practices working really hard to figure out a business model that aligns with their own values. So, value-based care—the actual words, not the euphemism—value-based care can still be a worthy goal. And that, my friends, is what I'm talking about today with Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH). PBGH members are really focused on innovating and implementing change. We talk about some of this innovation and implementation on the show today, and it is very inspiring. Elizabeth argues for for-real alternative payment models that are transparent to the employer plan sponsors. She wants prospective payments or bundled payments, and she wants them with warranties that are measurable. She wants members to get integrated whole-person care in a measurable way, which most health plans (ie, middlemen) either cannot or will not administer. Elizabeth says to achieve actual care that is of value, cooperation between employers, employees, and primary care providers is crucial (ie, direct contracts). She also says that this whole effort is really, really urgently needed given the affordability crisis affecting many Americans. There's been just one article after another lately about how many billions and billions of dollars are getting siphoned off the top into the pockets of the middlemen and their shareholders. These are dollars partially paid for by employees and plan members. We have 48% of Americans with commercial insurance delaying or forgoing care due to cost. If you're a self-insured employer and you're hearing this, don't be thinking it doesn't impact you because your employees are highly compensated. As Deborah Williams wrote the other day, she wrote, “Co-pays have gotten high enough that even higher-income patients can't afford them.” And she was referencing a study to that end. So, yeah … with that, here is your Summer Short with Elizabeth Mitchell. Also mentioned in this episode are Purchaser Business Group on Health; Tom X. Lee, MD; Scott Conard, MD; Brian Klepper, PhD; Katy Talento; Marilyn Bartlett; Justin Leader; Laurence Bauer, MSW, MEd; Al Lewis; Paul Hinchey, MD, MBA; William Bestermann, MD; Jodilyn Owen; Justina Lehman; and Deborah Williams.   You can learn more at PBGH and by connecting with Elizabeth on LinkedIn.   Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), supports the implementation of PBGH's mission of high-quality, affordable, and equitable healthcare. She leads PBGH in mobilizing healthcare purchasers, elevating the role and impact of primary care, and creating functional healthcare markets to support high-quality affordable care, achieving measurable impacts. Elizabeth leverages her extensive experience in working with healthcare purchasers, providers, policymakers, and payers to improve healthcare quality and cost. She previously served as senior vice president for healthcare and community health transformation at Blue Shield of California, during which time she designed Blue Shield's strategy for transforming practice, payment, and community health. Elizabeth also served as the president and CEO of the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), a network of regional quality improvement and measurement organizations. She also served as CEO of Maine's business coalition on health, worked within an integrated delivery system, and was elected to the Maine State Legislature, serving as a state representative and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. Elizabeth served as vice chairperson of the US Department of Health and Human Services Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee, board and executive committee member of the National Quality Forum (NQF), member of the National Academy of Medicine's (NAM) “Vital Signs” Study Committee on core metrics and now on NAM's Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation, a Guiding Committee member for the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network. She now serves as an appointed board member of California's Office of Healthcare Affordability. Elizabeth also serves as an advisor and board member for healthcare companies. Elizabeth holds a degree in religion from Reed College, studied social policy at the London School of Economics, and completed the International Health Leadership Program at Cambridge University. Elizabeth was an Atlantic Fellow through the Commonwealth Fund's Harkness Fellowship program.   10:36 What are members and providers actually asking for in terms of value-based care? 10:56 Why won't most health plans administer alternative payment models? 12:17 “We do not have value in the US healthcare system.” 12:57 Why you can't do effective primary care on a fee-for-service model. 13:30 Why have we fragmented care out? 14:39 “No one makes money in a fee-for-service system if people are healthy.” 17:27 “If we think it is not at a crisis point, we are kidding ourselves.”   You can learn more at PBGH and by connecting with Elizabeth on LinkedIn.   @lizzymitch2 of @PBGHealth discusses #valuebasedcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation #vbc   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Dr Will Shrank (Encore! EP413), Dr Amy Scanlan (Encore! EP402), Ashleigh Gunter, Dr Spencer Dorn, Dr Tom Lee, Paul Holmes (Encore! EP397), Ann Kempski, Marshall Allen (tribute), Andreas Mang, Abby Burns and Stacey Richter

Aaron Dana is a prominent member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and currently serves as a Tribal Representative in the Maine State Legislature. As a non-voting member, he represents the interests of the Passamaquoddy people and advocates for their rights and sovereignty. Dana has been active in legislative efforts to extend federal benefits to the Wabanaki tribes, which include the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq tribes in Maine. These efforts aim to rectify the exclusion of these tribes from federal laws that benefit other tribes across the United States due to a unique 1980 settlement agreement​.

For a full transcript of this episode, . The episode today is somewhat of a follow-on to the show with Lauren Vela, which was about employer inertia. If we're talking about inertia, though, we'd be remiss not to get a little circumspect about the whole affair and subject some other stakeholders to our microscope. One of these stakeholders is EBCs (employee benefit consultants), practice leads, and brokers, which AJ Loiacono talked about in to some extent; so we can check that box at least for now. That leaves TPAs (third-party administrators), ASOs (administrative services onlys), and health plans. And this hotbed of inertia is what I talk about today with Elizabeth Mitchell from PBGH, the Purchaser Business Group on Health. Similar to earlier shows, one disclaimer is that I am using the TPA and ASO terms sort of interchangeably here. Again, TPA is third-party administrator, and ASO is administrative services only, which is generally the term used when an insurance carrier offers services to a plan sponsor, like a self-insured employer. And these services don't include insurance, because … self-insured. So, the services are administrative only. One point to make clear before we dive in, this conversation is not about these carriers/payers/health plans in general and what they may or may not be doing. This conversation is very specifically focused on how well are those entities helping jumbo employers deploy their health benefits. And first we talk about the role of a TPA or ASO, both in terms of what a jumbo employer might want them to be doing versus what they are often actually doing. Spoiler alert: What they are often actually doing is acting like a full-on health plan and charging as such, even if the health plan part is not what the self-insured employer wants or needs, especially when somebody figures out exactly how much additional is getting charged for those ancillary health plan services. Listen to the show with Justin Leader () for a bead on just a piece of the how much additional that gets baked into the weekly claims wires many self-insured employers get. Bottom line, right now, there's a gap in the market. What is needed are indie TPAs who are effective and efficient and not owned by a health plan because, if history is any predictor of the future, the second the TPA gets owned by a health plan, the TPA sort of ceases to be a TPA and becomes a health plan—with all the attendant bells and whistles that, a lot of times, an employer can't opt out of. And also, the whole not sharing data becomes a thing, both cost data and also quality data. Now, just because there's a gap in the market, does that mean all jumbo employers are paralyzed into inertia? Well, it makes it harder, for sure. But it's also a reason to start figuring out how to solve for a problem when it has as many zeros at the end of it as this problem has. Have you seen these lawsuits popping up all over the place and just the numbers that are involved? Aramark's lawsuit against Aetna is just one example. Not to single out just this one, but in the interest of time, let's talk about this one. Aramark, a big employer, alleged that since 2018, Aetna has taken more than $200 million from it to pay for medical services that should not have been paid out and retains millions of dollars in undisclosed fees. Mark Flores about this one the other day. Also, there was that Cigna lawsuit where an electrician's union health plan was surprised to learn that the fees charged by Cigna had risen from around $550,000 in 2016 to $2.6 million in 2019. That was from a New York Times . For more on stuff like this, follow Doug Aldeen and/or Chris Deacon on LinkedIn. They're a great resource. I'd also listen to the “Who's Suing Who?” episode with Chris Deacon, which was . Because of all of this, the conversation today with Elizabeth Mitchell pretty quickly gets into the shift toward direct contracting between employers and providers to improve access quality and outcomes. If you can't beat them, get ruthlessly practical is my takeaway. I have to say, I truly admire some of these HR folks and their leadership willing to do what it takes on behalf of protecting the people that work for them. Now, important side note: There are certainly some health plans at least trying here, so I don't want to imply otherwise. There are some interesting initiatives that are afoot at, I'm gonna say, usually regional health plans. Elizabeth Mitchell has talked about some of these and made this clear also elsewhere. Lastly, if you aren't familiar with the CAA, which comes up in the episode today, there's a show () on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which is what CAA stands for. Elizabeth Mitchell, my guest today, currently serves as the president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health. PBGH members are really focused on innovating and implementing change. We talk about some of this innovation and implementation on the show today, and it is very inspiring. Stay tuned on this topic, given just the absolute need for TPA services like we discuss in the show that follows, and given the smart, innovative, action-oriented people who are affected—1 plus 1 equals … yeah. Stay tuned. Very, very lastly, I just want to give a shout-out and thanks to Brad Brockbank for posing some great questions, which I pretty much turned around and asked Elizabeth Mitchell in this healthcare podcast. Also mentioned in this episode are ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and . You can learn more at and by connecting with Elizabeth on . You can also watch a on success with direct contracting.   Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), supports the implementation of PBGH's mission of high-quality, affordable, and equitable healthcare. She leads PBGH in mobilizing healthcare purchasers, elevating the role and impact of primary care, and creating functional healthcare markets to support high-quality affordable care, achieving measurable impacts. Elizabeth leverages her extensive experience in working with healthcare purchasers, providers, policymakers, and payers to improve healthcare quality and cost. She previously served as senior vice president for healthcare and community health transformation at Blue Shield of California, during which time she designed Blue Shield's strategy for transforming practice, payment, and community health. Elizabeth also served as the president and CEO of the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), a network of regional quality improvement and measurement organizations. She also served as CEO of Maine's business coalition on health, worked within an integrated delivery system, and was elected to the Maine State Legislature, serving as a state representative and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. Elizabeth served as vice chairperson of the US Department of Health and Human Services Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee, board and executive committee member of the National Quality Forum (NQF), member of the National Academy of Medicine's “Vital Signs” Study Committee on core metrics, and a Guiding Committee member for the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network. She now serves as a board member of California's Office of Healthcare Affordability. Elizabeth holds a degree in religion from Reed College and studied social policy at the London School of Economics.   06:48 What is the overarching context for health plans in healthcare purchasing? 09:00 with Olivia Webb. 11:44 Why is it important to reestablish a connection between the people paying for care and people providing care? 14:07 What are the needs of a self-insured employer when managing employee benefits? 19:41 Is it doable for employers to set their own contracts? 22:11 Is transparency presumed? 23:25 Will the new transparency upon us actually expose wasted expense? 27:45 “This is not about individual bad actors. … The systems … that is not aligned.” 29:32 Are there providers who want to work directly with employers? 32:46 Why is it important that incentives need to be aligned? 34:25 Why is the quality of care even more important than transparency? 36:29 with Rik Renard. 38:08 What's missing from the conversation on changing health plans?   You can learn more at and by connecting with Elizabeth on . You can also watch a on success with direct contracting.   @lizzymitch2 of @PBGHealth discusses #TPA and #healthplan inertia on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! , , , , , , , , ,

Join Ben for his discussion with attorneys Taylor Asen and Trevor Savage about their recent $2.4 million verdict in Bangor, Maine in a case involving a surgical mal positioning that caused an arm injury and CRPS.  Taylor and Trevor explain how they worked closely with the client to get her to the right specialist who could diagnose her medical condition.  They talk about the challenges of presenting a CRPS injury at trial.  They discuss how they resisted the defense effort to stipulate to liability and were able to present compelling evidence of corporate indifference and system failure in the lack of safeguards or systems to make sure that the surgery was done safely, and the lack of follow through, investigation, or changes that came out of this incident.  They discuss how they responded to the defense's 11th hour surprise surveillance video, which the judge allowed into evidence over objection.  They used the surveillance to further polarize the case and show the lie in the hospital's claim to be taking responsibility for its actions.  They discuss the use of data analysis to recognize the true value of the case and to formulate the amount asked for in closing. About Taylor Asenwww.gideonasen.com Taylor specializes in medical malpractice cases, trucking accident cases, and other complex personal injury cases. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients. Taylor possesses a unique combination of intellect, competitive drive, and human empathy that makes him a powerful advocate for his clients. Taylor has dedicated his career to championing the interests of individuals who have suffered harm or injury from corporate misconduct, individual negligence, and bad medical care. Taylor's efforts on behalf of injured Mainers have resulted in several of the largest case settlements in Maine history. Recently, Taylor and his colleague Meryl obtained one of the largest jury verdicts in a child sex abuse case in Maine's history. Taylor has been recognized as one of Maine's leading plaintiff's attorneys. He is only one of two lawyer from Northern New England listed in Lawdragon's list of the top 500 plaintiff's attorneys in the nation—the other lawyer from Northern New England is his partner, Ben Gideon. Taylor is also included in Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch and Super Lawyers Rising Stars; these designations are given to attorneys that distinguish themselves during their first decade of practice. “Nobody is more committed to his clients than Taylor,” said Ben Gideon. “His mind is always working. It's not unusual for me to receive a call after midnight from Taylor, wanting to brainstorm about a thorny problem or about case strategy. Taylor is also a gifted legal writer, enabling our clients to gain the upper hand in motions and briefs submitted to the courts. When it comes to the full range of personal qualities and skills needed to achieve extraordinary client results, there are few lawyers I've met who can match Taylor.” Taylor is on the Board of Governors of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and has served as Co-Chair of the MTLA's Legislative Committee for the past three years. Taylor has testified in the Maine Legislature on numerous occasions, and played a critical role in the fight to raise Maine's cap on wrongful death damages in 2019. Taylor also has experience litigating class action cases on behalf of employees, consumers, and victims of civil rights abuses. From 2019 to 2020, he co-counseled a class action on behalf of Maine prisoners who were denied treatment for Hepatitis C. That lawsuit resulted in a historic settlement with the Maine Department of Corrections, under which the DOC agreed to treat all incarcerated individuals who have chronic Hepatitis C. Taylor is an Adjunct Professor at Maine Law School, where he co-teaches Trial Advocacy. A native of Maine, Taylor is a graduate of Yale Law School. At Yale, Taylor worked in the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, representing veterans who were improperly denied disability benefits. After graduating from law school, Taylor clerked for federal judges in New York City and Newark, New Jersey. Taylor began his career at a law firm in New York, before returning to Maine to represent individual plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits. Taylor's wife, Becca, is the Director of Recruiting and Professional Development at Bernstein Shur. Taylor and Becca live in Cumberland County with their three children, Davida, Vivienne, and Leon. What Clients Say About Taylor“The most fantastic Lawyer I have ever met. Caring considerate and great results.” – Hilarie B. “Taylor went above and beyond during the entire case. I felt valued, respected and as if I was the #1 and only client he had.” – Adam D. “Taylor was there, step by step, fighting for what is right and just, making sure we understood each process. He helped my family get the best outcome to move forward with our lives without regret.” – Cheri H. “Taylor Asen was everything we needed in a lawyer: professional, communicative, straight forward and determined. He also was everything we didn't expect: personable, always available, kind and thoughtful. We highly recommend his services.” – Arianna S. “Taylor Asen is the ultimate professional. He navigated us through the toughest time in our lives and handled our medical malpractice case with mastery. . . Most of all, he was human. His confidence and his friendly demeanor put us at ease and his empathy towards our situation made us feel like we wanted to win this case not just for us, but for him.” – Lisa H. EDUCATIONJ.D., Yale Law School, 2012M.A., Columbia University, 2007B.A., George Washington University (summa cum laude), 2006 RECOGNITIONSLawdragon's 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2022The Best Lawyers in America ― “Ones to Watch,” 2021 – presentSuper Lawyers ― “Rising Star,” 2017 – presentAVVO – Rated 10/10 MEMBERSHIPSBoard Member, Maine Trial Lawyers AssociationCo-chair, Legislative Committee, Maine Trial Lawyers AssociationMember, Academy of Truck Accident AttorneysMember, American Association for JusticeMember, Right to Know Advisory Committee, Maine State Legislature, 2019-2022Member, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine Selection Advisory Committee (2021)Chair, Maine Supreme Judicial Court IOLTA Working Group (2020) ADMISSIONSMaine (2016)U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit (2014)U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (2014)U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (2014)New York (2013) CLERKSHIPSLaw Clerk, Hon. Julio Fuentes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2014Law Clerk, Hon. J. Paul Oetken, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2013  About Trevor Savagewww.gideonasen.com Trevor is a skilled trial attorney who represents clients in claims involving medical malpractice, wrongful deaths and other complex personal injury cases. After completing a clerkship with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Trevor began his career at a large firm in Portland, representing medical providers, businesses, and insurance companies. Trevor's experience as a defense attorney gives him a unique perspective that he uses to give Gideon Asen's clients an advantage during litigation with insurance companies. A native of Maine, Trevor is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and then the University of Maine School of Law. At Maine Law, he served as Managing Editor of the Maine Law Review and as a legal writing teaching assistant for first-year students. During law school—alongside his then-classmate and current colleague, Meryl Poulin—he distinguished himself as one of two “Prize Arguers” of their class and argued before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. He and Meryl Poulin—another Gideon Asen attorney—later competed nationally as teammates on the Maine Law Moot Court Team, finishing in the top three of a competition of more than forty teams. While at law school, Trevor interned with the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney's Office and then with Judge Kermit V. Lipez of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He also worked as a Student Attorney at the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office (winning his first two jury trials as a second-year law student). Trevor lives in North Berwick, Maine, with his wife, Amy, and two children, Jacob and Will. EDUCATIONJ.D., Maine Law School (cum laude), 2017B.S., Emerson College (summa cum laude), 2013 RECOGNITIONSSuper Lawyer's: Rising Star 2022- present MEMBERSHIPSAmerican Bar Association, MemberMaine State Bar Association, MemberMaine Trial Lawyers Association, MemberEdward Thaxter Gignoux Inn of Court, MemberManaging Editor, Maine Law Review (2016-2017)Maine Law Class of 2017 Prize ArguerFaculty Significant Achievement Award, 2017 ADMISSIONSMaine (2017)United States District Court for the District of Maine (2018)United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2018) CLERKSHIPSLaw Clerk, Hon. Joseph M. Jabar, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, 2017-2018

Producer/Host: Donna Loring Other credits: Technical assistance for the show was provided by Joel Mann, WERU Orland Maine. Music by Ralph Richter, a track called little eagles from his CD Dream Walk Wabanaki Windows is a monthly show featuring topics of interest from a Wabanaki perspective. This month: This episode reveals the conclusions and recommendations the committee makes to the Maine State Legislature. They recommend bills and amendments. The committee was searching for a way to save money for the State since we were in a World War. Their recommendations were accepted by the Legislature and became the long range strategic plan for State Indian Policy. Much like the Nixon tapes these transcripts are a smoking gun that reveal in the Legislators own words a long-range plan to eliminate the Maine Tribes. The Proctor Report used as the basis for future planning and Indian Policy. Procter clearly recommends the elimination of the Tribes and their lands. Guest/s: Eric Mehnert, Chief Judge of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court Professor Harald Prins is a Native of the Netherlands he is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and an Emertus at Kansas State University. Professor Darren Ranco, Penobscot Nation Tribal Member, Professor of Anthropology and Chair of Native American Studies at the University of Maine. About the host: Donna M Loring is a Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal Elder, and former Council Member. She represented the Penobscot Nation in the State Legislature for over a decade. She is a former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Mills. She is the author of “In The Shadow of The Eagle A Tribal Representative In Maine”. Donna has an Annual lecture series in her name at the University of New England that addresses Social Justice and Human Rights issues. In 2017 She received an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Maine Orono and was given the Alumni Service Award. It is the most prestigious recognition given by the University of Maine Alumni Association. It is presented Annually to a University of Maine graduate whose life's work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic and/or Public service areas. Donna received a second Honorary Doctorate from Thomas College in May of 2022 The post Wabanaki Windows 9/26/23: Legislative Research Committee Recommendations to the Legislature first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

It's Friday, May 5th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com) Videos reveal indoctrination & militarization of Chinese Uyghur kids In 2019, there were 900,000 Uyghur (pronounced WE-gir) Muslim children in Chinese boarding schools who have been separated from family members, reports Bitter Winter Magazine. Their parents, according to Family Research Council, are being held in concentration camps also described as extrajudicial detention facilities where detainees are subjected to brainwashing and other forms of torture, including rape.  The schools and dorms are an important part of the cultural genocide perpetrated through the indoctrination of the Uyghur children. This is criminal. The minors are isolated and under the absolute control and influence of unrelated and “foreign” persons. Under any circumstance other than government involvement, this would be deemed “radicalization” or “extremism.” A camp survivor, named Zumrat Dawut, obtained video clips of the kind of indoctrination that is taking place right now.  Listen to the Chinese dialogue after which I'll offer the English translation. MAN: “What is your dream?” UYGHUR BOY: “My dream is to be a member of the People's Liberation Army when I grow up. I want to be a border soldier warrior to defend the borders of our country.” MAN: “Good. “Do you know what kind of people the People's Liberation Army are?” UYGHUR BOY: “The People's Liberation Army are very brave men who love the motherland very much and are not afraid to sacrifice their own lives.” MAN: “But have you thought about it, as you want to be a border warrior? When the enemy invades, to protect the borders of our homeland, will you charge forward bravely?” UYGHUR BOY: “I will dash forward bravely.” MAN: “Not afraid of sacrifice?” UYGHUR BOY: “Not afraid of sacrifice.” The disturbing audio in all four videos is Chinese, but they are captioned in English. Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, and Video 4. Matthew 18:6 says, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in Me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Will Tucker Carlson host his own GOP presidential debate? Since Tucker Carlson was fired by Fox News, he has expressed interest in moderating his own GOP candidate forum, outside of the usual strictures of the Republican National Committee debate system, reports The Washington Post. The idea, which he's discussed with Donald Trump, the front-runner for the party nomination, would test his sway over conservative politics. And it would take a jab at his former employer since Fox is hosting the first official primary debate, which Trump has threatened not to attend, according to the New York Post. 1,900 pro-lifers opposed a proposed Maine abortion bill On Monday, 1,900 pro-lifers turned out in Maine to oppose an extreme pro-abortion bill, LD 1619, introduced by Democrat Governor Janet Mills, that would legalize murder in the womb after viability.   According to WMTW and Fox News, it was the most well-attended public hearing of the year at the Maine State Legislature. It lasted for an incredible 19 hours from 12:00 noon on Monday through 7:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Ann Dowdy, one of the 675 pro-lifers who signed up to speak, was holding her toddler named Rejoice. DOWDY: “I think that it is wrong for us to be killing our babies when they could be living. My daughter was born at 24 weeks gestation here in Augusta almost two years ago.” And Penny and Eric Winter, a married couple, waited in line in the rain Monday morning for two hours just to sign up to testify. PENNY: "I believe that viable children need to be protected." ERIC: "We're not talking about something done to some helpless tissue. This is a body with arms and legs, a heartbeat, and a face that is exposed to abortion by this bill." Charles Stanley's grandson sold famed preacher's items on eBay And finally, the grandson of Charles Stanley has received backlash after selling some of his grandfather's personal items online less than two weeks after the pastor's death.  Matt Brodersen, who is the youngest child of Stanley's daughter, Becky, revealed these details in a YouTube video. BRODERSEN: “What's up, guys? It's Matt, my grandpa, Dr. Charles Stanley, just passed away on April 18, 2023. We all got to go through this stuff and find things that we would keep. I found a few things that I thought were really awesome. I'm going to put them on eBay, and there's going to be a bid. You can auction for it if you want it. “This one is a 13 by 13-inch picture that you can hang on your wall. It is signed by my grandpa on August 30, 1996. It's something that I'd love for one of his fans to have. But that's not all. Whoever wins that picture frame, I'm going to include some bonus gifts -- things that I found in his desk that were there when he passed away. I'm going to give them my grandpa's coin collection that was in his desk. Those will be your bonus gifts. “The second item that I'm auctioning off is a pocket watch I found in his desk that has his engravings on it – C.F.S. -- for Charles Frazier Stanley. And, if you win this one, then I'm going to send you the rest of the watches that I found in his desk.” On eBay, Charles Stanley's engraved pocket watch sold for $2,375 after 63 bids, while the framed and signed picture of Charles Stanley sold for $3,650 after 40 bids. In response to the negative feedback, Brodersen said this in his defense. BRODERSEN: “I've already got some negative feedback on eBay for wanting to auction off some of my grandpa's things. I've got this guy on eBay who's already, like, ‘No grandson of Dr. Stanley would run this ad one week following his grandfather's death.' “I'm a human being who has bills to pay, and you know how the economy is. No, I don't really have shame in selling some of his stuff. And whoever wins is going to help me pay my bills, which I desperately need right now. I'm not afraid to admit that.” In an interview with The Christian Post shortly after his grandfather's death, Brodersen shared how Stanley supported him during dark times. After blowing his inheritance money on drugs and alcohol, he became depressed and suicidal. Stanley told him, "Matthew, I want you to always remember, the most important thing in life is to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." In John 14:23, Jesus said, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, May 5th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Lisa McGee, Energy Manager at Community Concepts, joins us to share updates on the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and to announce the Winter Energy Relief Program, a new initiative providing additional energy assistance to Maine residents. If you live in Androscoggin or Oxford County and are struggling to afford heating your home, please call us! We can determine what assistance you are eligible for. You may qualify for HEAP if you are a: renter, renter with heat included, homeowner, subsidized renter with heat not included, employed or unemployed, or have income earned by wages or other sources.If you qualify for HEAP, you may qualify for many other programs. Our team will help direct you to those programs once your application has been approved. If you are over income for HEAP, you may be eligible for the new Winter Energy Relief Program. This program provides an $800 payment directly to your vendor, funded by the energy relief bill passed by Maine State Legislature and signed by Governor Mills in January. Emergency Fuel Assistance is available for anyone in danger of running out of heating fuel (oil, wood pellets, kerosene, etc.).To apply, please call us:  207-795-4065 or 207-743-7716TTY Relay: Dial 711 to connect to a Maine Relay OperatorSpecial thanks to Williams Broadcasting for producing our show. Follow CCI online and on social media:FacebookInstagramTwitterCommunity Concepts is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Elizabeth Mitchell is the president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition representing some of the country's largest and most influential private employers and public purchasers. She graduated from Reed College with a degree in religion, and went on to get elected to the Maine State Legislature as a single mom in her mid-20's. The post 925: How to Break Into the Healthcare Industry With Elizabeth Mitchell, PBGH [Espresso Shots] appeared first on Time4Coffee.

Today's interview is with former Maine State Senator Eric Brakey. Brakey is the host of the Free America Now podcast, and Senior Spokesperson for Young Americans for Liberty. Listen to Free America Now! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-america-now/id1587215364 https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwPFT7xIyGZ8UVMHcKwjU?si=4aec1acb9ade4ff2 Eric Brakey became a grassroots liberty activist during his senior year of college. In 2012, Eric Brakey served as the Maine State Director of the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign, organizing the grassroots effort that one reporter called the “biggest political coup in recent Maine history,” winning the state for Ron Paul and electing liberty activists to a majority on the Maine GOP State Committee.   Following the Ron Paul Campaign, Eric Brakey founded the Defense of Liberty PAC to help liberty candidates win election to the Maine State Legislature. In 2014, Eric threw his own hat into the ring and won election to the Maine State Senate, defeating a longtime Democrat incumbent and becoming the youngest State Senator in America at the age of 26. During his two terms of office, Senator Brakey served as the Senate Chairman for the Health and Human Services Committee. Brakey also spearheaded successful efforts through a bipartisan legislature to pass Constitutional Carry, Welfare Reform, Right to Try, the deregulation of medical cannabis, and the legalization of hedgehog ownership.   In 2016, Senator Brakey served as the Maine State Chair for the Rand Paul Presidential Campaign. Senator Brakey also represented Maine as a delegate on the 2016 Republican National Platform Committee. Eric authored many GOP's platform planks, including abolishing the IRS, auditing the Pentagon, instituting a federal Right to Try law, deregulating nuclear energy, and reasserting a constitutional foreign policy in which only Congress can declare war.   Instead of running for re-election in 2018, Senator Brakey opted to challenge incumbent Angus King for U.S. Senate, earning the Maine Republican nomination for the office. With a strong grassroots campaign featuring dozens of liberty activists knocking doors across all corners of the state, Brakey won a greater share of the vote against the popular incumbent than anyone in state history.   Following the 2018 election, Brakey founded the Free Maine Campaign and organized grassroots pressure campaigns to defeat proposals in the Democrat-majority Maine legislature for “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation Orders and the National Popular Vote.   In 2020, Eric Brakey served as the Republican nominee for Maine Secretary of State. Follow the Bound by Oath podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bound-by-oath-by-ij/id1445199346 https://shortcircuit.org/center-for-judicial-engagement/sc/14th-at-150-podcast/ https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZvIXD8PvVg2E8Dplk8Lvn?si=8de80094bedd4023 Based-Politics Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5UgGGp9G5WupDgfccWTuKZ?si=f4eded8e5a35491e https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/based-politics/id1535704082 Need someone to talk to? Betterhelp.com/gml Subscribe on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/goodmorningliberty Interested in learning how to Day Trade? Mastermytrades.com Chat LIVE during the show! https://goodmorningliberty.locals.com/ Like our intro song? https://www.3pillmorning.com Advertise on our podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Building Local Power, we share a recording of ILSR's recent event Democratizing Power: New Citizen Initiatives Challenge Monopoly Electric Utilities. Across the country, powerful utilities are actively blocking decentralized solar energy, degrading the reliability of the power lines even as they raise prices, and failing to make the grid investments needed for a clean, carbon-free future. Listen to ILSR's Stacy Mitchell and John Farrell facilitate conversations with the advocates who are leading the movement to take back control from electric utility monopolies. Highlights of the event's discussions include: Rep. Seth Berry and Sen. Rick Bennett of the Maine State Legislature discuss Our Power, a citizen-led ballot campaign in Maine that aims to convert the utility serving most of the state to a consumer-owned electric company, allowing for competition and innovation on a public grid system. Jean Su, Energy Justice Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, explains how advocates in Arizona are using antitrust and anti-monopoly laws to fight a big utility's plans to crush customer-owned rooftop solar power. Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy in New Mexico, tells the story behind a recent and highly unusual rejection of a proposed utility merger in New Mexico, brought about by grassroots advocacy effort. “Clean electricity is how we get out of the climate emergency. And all of that needs to flow over the poles and wires. Those poles and wires are a monopoly. And because of the last 150 years or so of the evolution of that industry, we have allowed it without really thinking about it. Without really noticing, we've allowed it to globalize, we've allowed it to conglomerate. We've allowed it to be the province of the few in order to extract value from the many. And so this is about power. It is about money. It's also very much about climate. If we're going to decarbonize, we know that we need to shift to consumer ownership because it works.”     Related Resources Democratizing Power: New Citizen Initiatives Challenge Monopoly Electric Utilities The Role of Antitrust Law in Creating Energy Justice — Episode 127 of Building Local Power Mainers Consider Putting Electricity, Internet in Local Hands — Episode 103 of Building Local Power In Santa Fe, Momentum Builds for Locals to Take Charge of Electricity System – Episode 39 of Local Energy Rules Podcast A David and Goliath Fight to Tap World Class Solar – Episode 14 of Local Energy Rules Podcast Transcript Jess Del Fiacco: Hello. Welcome to Building Local Power, a podcast dedicated to thought-provoking conversations about how we can challenge corporate monopolies and expand the power of people to shape their own future. I'm Jess Del Fiacco, the host of Building Local Power and communications manager here at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. For more than 45 years, ILSR has worked to build thriving, equitable communities where power, wealth, and accountability remain in local hands. Hello, today we have something slightly different for you. Last week, ILSR hosted an event called Democratizing the Grid. And at that event ILSR Co-directors, John Farrell and Stacy Mitchell were joined by Representative Seth Berry and Senator Rick Bennett of Maine, as well as Mariel Nanasi of New Energy Economy in New Mexico, and Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. This group discussed the people-powered movements around the country that are taking on the electric utility monopolies with the aim of accelerating the shift to clean energy and winning democratic community control. We're going to share a recording of that conversation with you today. So without further ado, here's ILRS's Stacy Mitchell. Stacy Mitchell: Hello everyone. Welcome today. My name is Stacy Mitchell. I'm the co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and I'm super excited about today's event. I'm excited to welcome all of you.

Episode Notes In this episode of the Passion to Action Series we explore the Girl Scouts Junior Maine Guide Program at Camp Natarswi and discover the determination and skills required for Girl Scouts to earn their JMG certification.  You meet Tree, Vicky and Delaney and learn how The Junior Maine Guide program helps develop our future women leaders through determination, skills, challenges, and lifelong friendships.Established in 1937 by the Maine State Legislature, the program promotes the use of the Maine wilderness for recreation and environmentally responsible land use practices. Unique to Maine, the Junior Maine Guide program is offered at only ten camps in the state. Girl Scouts have been earning their JMG certifications for nearly 90 years!Offered to youth ages 9-18, the progressive curriculum of more than fifteen skillsets teaches campers to be self-reliant and cultivate a respect for the environment. JMGs learn how to take a leading role in safe, fun, and leave-no-trace trip planning, and master such skills as: axemanship, canoeing, shelter and fire building, map making and identification skills, equipment planning, food preparation, first aid, tree identification, wilderness regulations and more.Today I'll be talking with Treasa Wheeler (all so known as Tree),Camp Natarswi Director for the Girl Scouts of Maine, and two Girl Scout, Camp Natarswi JMG alums - Vicky and Delaney. We'll dig into what the program requires, the skills these young women have mastered, both personal and outdoor, the bonds that are developed through this program. and the young girl leaders who are blossoming as a result.We discuss:The Junior Maine Guide ProgramWhat it entails to get a Junior Maine Guide certificationThe skills  and confidence these young women learn by participating in the programThe bonds that are forgedHow this program helps girls and young women blossomLinks Mentioned:Girl Scouts of MaineGirl ScoutsFollow Us:Website:Facebook: InstagramLinkedInMarie's LinkedIn:Daughters of Change Podcast Editor:  Sarah StaceySarah's LinkedIn Profile

President Biden:" We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to position Amtrak — and rail in general — to play a central role in our transportation and economic future. To make the investments that can help get America back on track. That's exactly what the American Jobs Plan will do." Advocates for expansion of passenger train service in Maine believe this is their time. The potential of the railroads owned by the taxpayers of the State of Maine hold the promise of an advanced passenger train system that will deal with Climate Change, boost economic equity and move Maine into a more prosperous and sustainable future. There is a good reason the Legislature is addressing so many good rail bills this year. Preparing for expansion of passenger trains, every legislature since the 1980s has taken steps to accomplish the goal. This year the 130th Maine State Legislature can take this over the top. There is a detailed service plan with recommendations for passenger train service to Lewiston. LD 991 An Act…., will complete that plan and evaluate the economic impacts in jobs and housing in the communities selected for train stations. (since they did not etc.)The Amtrak Downeaster passenger operating along the coast to Brunswick is where the state owns 55 of 100 miles to Augusta, Waterville, and Bangor. LD 227 Will provide state and local decision-makers with information on this valuable transportation corridor and the likelihood it too can be restored for passenger trains. State ownership of railroads in the west, 55 miles Portland to Nh, in the East with the 40 miles from Bangor to Acadia and 88 miles into Eastport are included in other important rail bills. The opportunity to match federal funding has never been closer. There is no time to waste. Neither Washington nor the Climate are going to wait. Maine has done its homework, it owns the railroads. Maine knows how to run a successful passenger train service. It is time for rail in Maine. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cpr-network2/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cpr-network2/support

National Polygamy Advocate ™ Mark Henkel persistently sought for the Opinion Page Editor John Porter to publish an article in the Portland Press Herald, starting on February 11, 2009. The Maine newspaper had, 2 years previously, reported about Mark Henkel. Later that coming Spring of 2009, the Maine State Legislature was preparing to make a law to make Maine the 5th State to legalize same sex marriage. Mark Henkel was seeking to show a "third way," the Polygamy Rights Win-Win Solution to end the marriage debate. Mark Henkel had first spoken with the newspaper's "Maine Voices" Editor Michael (M.D.) Harmon who had passed it off with a recommendation that Mark Henkel instead pursue the matter with his next-up-the-line editor, John Porter. John Porter sounded like he would consider a 700-word op-ed instead. He said that he did not think that polygamy was somehow "relevant" or even "controversial" to be part of the debate (revealing how the Manufactured News Corporations do not really allow full debate or anyone to be heard on issues they control). But John Porter did say that he would "shop it around" (even to his own boss) when Mark Henkel would later send the article to him. Mark Henkel called back a few times in April, 2009, even on the day before his live appearance at the Maine Public Hearing for the pending same sex marriage law on April 22,2009. By April 28, 2009, it seemed possible that the newspaper would finally publish it. (On a side note, later that year, 2009, when the newspaper was bought, placing it under new ownership, John Porter would be removed from his top-dog newspaper editorship to instead go work as a spokesman for a local internet company. In that following Fall of 2009, the opponents of the newly-passed same sex marriage law were gearing up for a statewide referendum to repeal it with a "People's Veto." Mark Henkel would continue to reach out to the Portland Press Herald and its new top-dog editor to publish this timely relevant article. The "People's Veto" subsequently passed, which in turn, repealed the then-new-but-thereafter-repealed same sex marriage law in Maine. On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court Decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, determined that same sex marriage was thereafter to be legalized in all 50 States. ) In the end, the Portland Press Herald still chose to hide the article from their readership, which instead was later published in a different newspaper in Portland. http://www.NationalPolygamyAdvocate.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nationalpolygamyadvocate/support

National Polygamy Advocate ™ Mark Henkel was interviewed by Jeff Inglis, the Managing Editor for The Portland Phoenix newspaper, in Portland, Maine, on April 30, 2009. In the previous week, on April 22, 2009, the Maine State Legislature had conducted a Public Hearing on a pending law to legalize same sex marriage. 4,000 people attended this major event, including Mark Henkel who presented his "Neither For Nor Against" Testimony. In this historic speech, Mark Henkel pointed out that which he called as the "Marriage Control" hypocrisies of both the "YES" and "NO" sides at the hearing. Reporters Deirdre Fulton and Emily Parkhurst reported about Mark Henkel's Testimony in the April 30, 2009 issue of the newspaper. The Managing Editor of this weekly newspaper also attended the Public Hearing. He likewise witnessed Mark Henkel's Testimony as the National Polygamy Advocate ™; and, he thereafter also sought a separate interview for a later article to be published on May 13, 2009, titled, "After the Battle - Where will same-sex marriage be in 2010?" Seeking to write this report himself, the Managing Editor was fascinated to learn more of (and to report on) the "Polygamy Rights Win-Win Solution to end the marriage debate" (as was first explained in Mark Henkel's Tesimony at the Public Hearing). He had indeed understood how Mark Henkel's win-win proposal really could be a way that both sides could embrace and even ensure that everyone would be fully free. (NOTE: As a consequence of that Public Hearing, the Maine State Legislature affirmatively voted on May 6, 2009, to become the 5th State to officially codify the legalization of same sex marriage. Even so, later that same year, on November 3, 2009, a Maine "People's Veto" referendum successully repealed that newly passed state law in Maine. Five and half years later after that, though, on June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court decision, Hollingsworth v. Hodges, fully mandated legalized same sex marriage in all 50 of the United States.) This interview was conducted in a professional and genuinely friendly manner - even with both enjoying laughter together. In addition to providing a comprehensive education about UCAP, Unrelated Consenting Adult Polygamy, the positivity with which this interview was conducted provides an excellent example, in and of itself, of how political liberals and conservatives can and should be able to more successfully discuss issues to solve things together. http://www.NationalPolygamyAdvocate.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nationalpolygamyadvocate/support

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco a) Today we hear updates on the status of proposed waste reform and water extraction bills in the Maine State Legislature. b) Yesterday, the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee made decisions on five bills that could impact industrial water extraction in Maine, specifically by Poland Spring, owned by Nestle Waters North America. The ENR Committee voted unanimously “ought to pass” on LD 112 ” An Act to Acknowledge Potable Water as a Necessity.” They voted unanimously “ought not to pass” on LD 1358, “An Act to Further the Public Interest In All Maine Waters”, LD 413 ” An Act to Ensure the Rights of Citizens to Groundwater in the State” and LD 197 “An Act to Convene a Working Group to Authorize a Public Trust for Maine’s Groundwater”. The Committee voted to move LD 1474 “An Act to Ensure Water Equity and Accountability for the People of the State”, sponsored by Rep. Hickman legislature.maine.gov/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1076&item=1&snum=129, to the Legislative Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. The work session is not yet scheduled. c) Tomorrow, April 26th, at 10 am the Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a work session on LD 401, An Act To Preserve State Landfill Capacity and Promote Recycling,” would request the accurate tracking and record keeping of waste from its generation to final disposal point, including as landfill leachate discharged into Maine waterways, including Juniper Ridge Landfill leachate deposited into the Penobscot River. It would walk back a 2011 state statute that allows out of state waste to be re-classified as in-state waste. It would also walk back the ability for the state to meet recycling goals by counting construction and demolition debris used as landfill covering and waste biosolids used as agricultural fertilizer. It would strengthen protections for the health of those living in close proximity to waste disposal facilities, including the Penobscot Nation. To listen to the work session: legislature.maine.gov/Audio/#216 Guests: Nickie Sekera, Community Water Justice www.facebook.com/communitywaterjustice/ www.communitywaterjustice.com Hillary Lister, solid waste and environmental justice activist, Contact info: hmaine9@gmail.com or 207-314-4692 Today’s program was produced with the Sunlight Media Collective.

Citizen Initiatives: The Devil’s in the Details Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine, www.lwvme.org Engineer: Amy Browne Key Discussion Points: the historical origins of the initiative provisions, how initiatives actually work in Maine, our contemporary experience with them, their effect on politics and elections, the tension between direct and representative democracy, and proposals for reform, many of which are being debated in the Maine State Legislature right now. Guests: Joshua Dyck, Associate Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. www.uml.edu/fahss/political-science/faculty/dyck-joshua.aspx Michael Franz, Professor of Government and Legal Studies at Bowdoin College and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. mikemfranz.com/ To learn more about this topic: – Initiatives without Engagement A Realistic Appraisal of Direct Democracy’s Secondary Effects, Joshua J. Dyck and Edward L. Lascher, Jr., 2019 – Ballot Questions in Maine, Polling Edition, Michael Franz, April, 2019. – Miller-Rose Initiative Database at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, Claremont McKenna College. – Seizing the Initiative: A Short History of Direct Democracy in America Nick Johnson, April, 2018. – American Voters Are Turning to Direct Democracy, Vann Newkirk, Atlantic April 2018. The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Citizen Initiatives: The Devil’s in the Details Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine, www.lwvme.org Engineer: Amy Browne Key Discussion Points: the historical origins of the initiative provisions, how initiatives actually work in Maine, our contemporary experience with them, their effect on politics and elections, the tension between direct and representative democracy, and proposals for reform, many of which are being debated in the Maine State Legislature right now. Guests: Joshua Dyck, Associate Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. www.uml.edu/fahss/political-science/faculty/dyck-joshua.aspx Michael Franz, Professor of Government and Legal Studies at Bowdoin College and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. mikemfranz.com/ To learn more about this topic: – Initiatives without Engagement A Realistic Appraisal of Direct Democracy’s Secondary Effects, Joshua J. Dyck and Edward L. Lascher, Jr., 2019 – Ballot Questions in Maine, Polling Edition, Michael Franz, April, 2019. – Miller-Rose Initiative Database at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, Claremont McKenna College. – Seizing the Initiative: A Short History of Direct Democracy in America Nick Johnson, April, 2018. – American Voters Are Turning to Direct Democracy, Vann Newkirk, Atlantic April 2018. The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

David and Harley will talk about wind development in Maine.   Karen Bessey Pease will be our special co-host tonight. Karen, or as her friends know her ‘Kaz’, is a native of the State of Maine.  Wife and mother of three, she lives on a 70 acre homestead in rural Lexington Township. She is a regular newspaper columnist and a published author and is an active member of her community.  For more that 3 1/2 years, Kaz has been involved in the effort to change policies regarding industrial-scale wind, in the hopes of bringing science, economics and ethics back to the table in regards to this issue.     We will also hear from Maine State Representative Terry M. Hayes and Tony Barrett a member of the Executive Committee of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club.   We will hear about important legislation moving through the Maine State Legislature:   An Act To Protect Maine’s Scenic Character LD 1147 An Act Regarding Wind Power Siting in the Unorganized Territory LD 1323   Representative Hayes was the sponsor of these two bills and Mr. Barrett had a hand in drafting LD 1147.