FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ania Wright, Political and Legislative Specialist, Sierra Club Maine
ania.wright@sierraclub.org
207-761-5616
Sierra Club Maine Endorses Questions 2, 3, 6 & 8, Opposes Question 1 on November Ballot
Augusta, ME. Today, the Sierra Club Maine Chapter announced official positions on five of the eight ballot questions that will go to voters on November 7th.
VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1 - Do you want to bar some quasi-governmental entities and all consumer-owned electric utilities from taking on more than $1 billion in debt unless they get statewide voter approval?
Question 1 was written to stall consumer owned utilities, should Question 3 pass. It will slow progress and require additional voter approval to establish Pine Tree Power, creating the opportunity for more misinformation. No Blank Checks, the group in support of the referendum, has received the majority of its funding from Avangrid, CMP’s parent company.
VOTE YES ON QUESTION 2 - Do you want to ban foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions?
We believe that political campaigns should be run by and for the people, not by corporations or the wealthy. Question 2 will ensure that future initiatives and politicians will be accountable to people in Maine.
VOTE YES ON QUESTION 3 - Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?
Sierra Club has endorsed Question 3 - With Pine Tree Power, Mainers can establish a utility responsible to the public, not far-off investors. A win in Maine would allow for a quicker, more just expansion of the state’s electric grid, all while saving ratepayers billions of dollars and advancing the state's commendable climate and economic justice goals.
VOTE YES ON QUESTION 6 - Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require that all of the provisions of the Constitution be included in the official printed copies of the Constitution prepared by the Secretary of State?
The Wabanaki people were written into the Maine Constitution. The fact that the original treaty obligations were hidden sends a clear message to the Wabanaki nations. The exclusion suggests that the agreements and relationships between the state of Maine and Wabanaki tribal governments are not important or worthwhile. We can honor this shared history together by once again including treaty obligations in printed copies of the Maine Constitution.
VOTE YES ON QUESTION 8 - Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision prohibiting a person under guardianship for reasons of mental illness from voting for Governor, Senators and Representatives, which the United States District Court for the District of Maine found violates the United States Constitution and federal law?
Ensuring a healthy democracy means making sure voting is accessible to all. Question 8 aligns the Maine Constitution with federal law on voting rights.
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Sierra Club Maine is one of 64 chapters nationally with 4 million members and supporters. Working in Maine for over 40 years, Sierra Club Maine has over 20,000 members and supporters across the state. As a volunteer-run, grassroots organization, Sierra Club Maine believes in the power of people working together to make change happen. Their mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means necessary to carry out these objectives.