Category: Maine Currents

Maine Currents 3/6/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer: John Greenman

Non-binary Gender Identities & the work of the Health Equity Alliance

Guests:
Nik Sparlin, graduate of the New England School of Communications at Husson University, currently working on a second degree at the University of Maine; Ambureen Rana, Health Equity Center Coordinator at the Health Equity Alliance, and the Vice President of MaineTransNet; Maddy Magnuson, LGBTQ+ Community Organizer at the Health Equity Alliance; Hannah Ruhlin LGBTQ+ Community Organizer with Health Equity Alliance.

Daily Beast article mentioned on show: How the Non-Binary Revolution Hit the West Coast

Love Stories by Mainers – event recorded 2/14/18

Love Stories by Mainers, a storytelling event hosted by WERU-FM and Wednesday on Main, was held at the Alamo Theater in Bucksport, Maine on 2/14/18. Storytellers Becky and Rob McCall, David Weeda, Anu Dudley, Amy Roeder, Brook Minner, Carol Visser, Jonathan Fulford and Naomi Graychase took the stage to share their stories. Amy Browne of WERU-FM was the emcee. John Greenman recorded the event.

Some of these stories aired on WERU’s Maine Currents on 2/27/18 and on a WERU Special on 2/28/18. Instead of archiving those show separately, here you will find the entire storytelling event unedited, as well as the individual stories available for listening online or downloading.

The files attached below are in order:
-The full show
-Amy Roeder
-Anu Dudley
-Brook Minner
-Carol Visser
-David Weeda
-Jonathan Fulford
-Becky & Rob McCall
-Naomi Graychase

Maine Currents 2/20/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Maine legislature considers restrictions on the discredited practice of “conversion therapy”

On February 14th, the state legislature’s Labor, Commerce Research and Economic Development committee held a public hearing on LD 912, a bill that would prohibit licensed professionals from practicing “conversion therapy” on children. The practice– which claims to change sexual orientation– is widely considered to be unethical among mental health professionals but some defend it as being within their “biblical world view”. Today on Maine Currents we listen to the bill’s presentation to the committee, and some of the testimony on both sides.

Maine Currents 2/13/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributor/Engineer: John Greenman

Does General Dynamics Need $60 Million From the Pockets of Maine Taxpayers?

The Maine legislature is considering a proposal to give a huge tax break to a military contractor. At the request of BIW, Representative Jennifer DeChant, a Democrat from Bath is sponsoring LD1781, “An Act To Encourage New Major Investments in Shipbuilding Facilities and the Preservation of Jobs”. In introducing the bill she testified that it would provide tax incentives to keep BIW competitive in its marketplace and retain a large number of quality jobs in the state. The bill has several cosponsors from both parties, but it also has drawn harsh criticism from those who see it as corporate welfare that BIW’s parent company, General Dynamics, certainly doesn’t need from the pockets of Mainers. A public hearing for the bill was held before the legislature’s Committee on Taxation a few weeks ago. We’re going to start today listening to clips from that public hearing, recorded by documentary filmmaker Regis Tremblay, and then he and activist Bruce Gagnon will be joining us for an update on where things stand now.

FMI:
thebollard.com/2018/02/06/ship-of-fools/
nunesweekly.com/2018/02/09/maine-state-rep-jennifer-dechant-sought-corporate-talking-points-to-counter-activists/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1DP7YYS2b0&feature=em-subs_digest
www.facebook.com/space4peace/videos/10156020240713608/

Maine Currents 2/6/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributor/Engineer: John Greenman

Segment 1: Immigrant’s Rights Rally at Bangor Bus Station
Segment 2: CMP Draws Complaints Over Billing Increases & Storm Response

Several Mainers braved the bitter cold on Saturday to attend a rally in Bangor calling attention to recent reports of Border agents asking bus passengers in Bangor where they were born, the possible upcoming deportation of a Waterville resident, and DACA recipients in Maine. (Recorded by John Greenman)

A large number of customers are taking to social media to complain that their Central Maine Power (CMP) bills doubled or tripled in January. Jennifer Gamage of Dixmont joins us to tell her story, and we hear the response from CMP and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). In addition, representatives from several rural towns complained today to the state legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology committee about CMP’s response following the October wind storm.

Maine Currents 1/30/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Forum: Congressional District 2 Democrats, Part 2 of 2

Candidates vying to be the Democratic challenger running against Bruce Poliquin in Congressional District 2 later this year drew a standing room only crowd at a forum in Belfast on Sunday, January 21st. The event was sponsored by the Belfast , MidCoast and Head of the Tide Indivisible groups and the Waldo County Chapter of Maine AllCare. The 5 candidates answered questions on topics ranging from indigenous rights to campaign financing to universal healthcare. Today we take you there. (Part 2 of 2)

Maine Currents 1/23/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Forum: Congressional District 2 Democrats

Candidates vying to be the Democratic challenger running against Bruce Poliquin in Congressional District 2 later this year drew a standing room only crowd at a forum in Belfast on Sunday, January 21st. The event was sponsored by the Belfast , MidCoast and Head of the Tide Indivisible groups and the Waldo County Chapter of Maine AllCare. The 5 candidates answered questions on topics ranging from indigenous rights to campaign financing to universal healthcare. Today we take you there. (Part 2 will air on Tuesday, 1/30/18 at 4pm)

Maine Currents 1/16/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Back to the Legislative Drawing Board on Marijuana Legalization in Maine

As the state legislature returns for the January session, one of the things they are working on is setting up the rules that will govern legalized recreational marijuana in the state. After several months of bipartisan work, their last attempt was vetoed by the Governor and the legislature failed to overturn the veto. So despite Mainers voting in support of legalization in 2016, the committee is going into 2018 still trying to craft a package of rules that LePage will sign – or that will at least garner enough votes to override his next veto. This is complicated by the recent announcement by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinding the 2013 Cole memo which had indicated that the federal government would in most cases not be focusing on enforcing marijuana laws. So the Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation held a public hearing on the latest proposed regulations, LD 1719 “An Act To Implement a Regulatory Structure for Adult Use Marijuana” last week. The public packed the meeting room and overflowed into an adjoining room, and testimony lasted for several hours. Today we bring you some key excerpts.

FMI: legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280067229