Media
October 20, 2021
AUGUSTA, MAINE -- The Maine Green Independent Party has endorsed referendum question 3, encouraging voters to cast a yes vote in the November 3rd election.
Question 3 asks, "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being?"
If approved by voters, the Maine State Constitution will be amended by the addition of this article:
Right to food. All individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to food, including the right to save and exchange seeds, and the right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being, as long as an individual does not commit trespassing, theft, poaching or other abuses of private property rights, public lands or natural resources in the harvesting, production or acquisition of food.
“Re-localizing our food system and building our communities is the greatest insurance policy we can have against disruptions of every kind," said Betsy Garrold, a former co-chair of the party. "Be they economic, political, environmental or a global pandemic. Resilience is built into the DNA of the people of Maine. This amendment allows us to manifest that resilience by taking back local control of our food system.”
The Maine Green Independent Party support the amendment because it aligns with the party's "Ten Key Values," which include grassroots democracy, decentralization, community-based economics and sustainability.
"All of these core values of the party are enhanced and protected when the people are given more rights and control over their own life and choices," said Garrold.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2021
Green Independent Party opens primary election to all Maine voters
MAINE--Members of the Green Independent Party decided unanimously to allow all Maine voters to participate in its 2022 primary election. The vote, taken at the party's annual convention marks the first time a qualified political party in Maine has done so.
Since 2016, the Greens have allowed unenrolled (often referred to as independent) voters to participate in its primaries. The party's bylaws require a decision in every odd-numbered year on which voters may vote in its primary the following year.
The party's electoral committee chair, Justin Beth, celebrated the unanimous decision. “Most Mainers, including many state legislators, are currently unaware that Maine’s qualified parties may decide on their own who is eligible to participate in their primaries”, he said.
“Our party's decision shows we are committed to grassroots democracy. We trust the input of all registered voters on who should be our candidates and would ask why have the Democratic and Republican parties not taken this step themselves?"
According to Maine statute, each political party may notify the secretary of state of the enrollment qualifications to vote in that party's primary. If no notification is received by February 1, then only that party's members may vote in that primary.
Ben Meiklejohn, who chaired the party's convention said a unanimous vote is a strong indication of members' support.
"This is really important to Greens. We've partially opened our primaries before, but to decide in unison that it's time to open it the whole way, that's significant," he said.
Party Co-Chair Lyn Maravell said the decision is important to Maine's voters. “It’s all about letting the people decide and giving people more choice in who they can vote for.”
Jake Kulaw, also the party's co-chair, said “It’s not rocket science, we want to give people a chance to have their say in our elections. It's not hard to have open primaries. We’re just giving Maine voters what they’ve been asking for.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greens endorse citizens initiative on health care
April 12, 2021
AUGUSTA--The Maine Green Independent Party endorses a citizens initiative to establish a publicly funded health care system for all Maine residents.
The party's state committee voted unanimously to support the initiative, which was launched several months ago by Maine Health Care Action, a campaign group organized by Maine AllCare.
The party will promote the petition campaign and encourage members to collect signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
If 63,000 signatures are submitted to the secretary of state by December, the referendum will be on the ballot in a 2022 election.
The Maine Green Independent Party platform calls for a "health care system with comprehensive healthcare for all, including vision, hearing, mental and dental health, regardless of ability to pay."
The party has supported universal health care coverage in its platform every year since approving its first platform as a qualified Maine political party in 1996.
In 2006, Green Independent nominee for governor, Pat LaMarche, made universal health care a cornerstone of her policy proposals, arguing that it would become an engine for the state's economy.
The party plans to rally its membership to help get the required signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.
For more information, visit the party's website at www.mainegreens.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2021
Greens oppose trans sports ban
MAINE--The Maine Green Independent Party opposes LD 926, a bill that would exclude transgender women from participating in interscholastic sport in all Maine public schools and universities, including intramural sports. "When we tell transgender girls and women that they can’t play girls sports, it sends the message that they don’t belong," said Jake Kulaw, co-chair of the party. "This bill violates the Green values of social justice, equal opportunity and respect for diversity." The bill mirrors efforts in other states to ban trans girls from participating in school sports. "This bill puts the humanity of transgender people up for public debate," Kulaw said. "This is an attack on the very existence of transgender girls and women." Kulaw said laws targeting transgender girls violate the US constitution and Title IX, and override sport governing bodies. Lyn Maravell, also co-chair of the party, said the bill attempts to politicize transgender people’s lives. "Maine transgender youth should not be used to advance hatred, fear and bigotry," she said. "This bill is bad for all Mainers." In 2014 Maine’s Supreme Court affirmed the right to equal educational access for transgender girls in schools. "The Green Independent Party stands in solidarity will the transgender community and will not support a bill that is harmful to any person, especially trans youth," said Maravell. "An injury to one of us is an injury to all of us. |
Maine Greens host Jill Stein. 2020 presidential hopefuls
Augusta -- The Green Independent Party, Maine's largest third party will hold its annual convention on Sunday, May 19 at Viles Arboretum, 153 Hospital St., Augusta. Candidates for the 2020 presidential nominations, Sedinam Kinamo Christen Moyowasifza-Curry and Dario Hunter, have confirmed their attendance in person at the convention. Other candidates will be presenting their campaigns via Skype.
Jill Stein is expected to speak about how to best organize and grow the political party in an age of climate change, and a real plan for a Green New Deal to improve the economy, opportunity for all and social justice while transitioning toward an environmentally-positive society.
While Green New Deal has become a popular subject of public discourse, Stein was the first presidential candidate to present a Green New Deal solution: her plan to invest in people and the environment for a better economy and healthy society.
According to a February Politico/Morning Consult poll, 31% of Democrats and 25% of Republicans would support a third-party candidate for president in 2020. 45% of Democrats and Republicans think a third party is needed.
Representatives of the Green Party of Quebec, a provincial party of Canada, will attend the convention to present information on Hydro-Quebec and the proposed Central Maine Power corridor.
The Maine party, with more than 43,000 enrolled voters, will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its inception in 1984. The party also celebrates the 25th anniversary of first earning official recognition by the state as a qualified party in December, 1994. The party will hold its annual elections for state party officers, set goals and decide whether to allow unenrolled (Independent) voters to participate in the party's 2020 primary.
Registration cost is by donation, what people can afford, or $20. "We do not accept corporate donations," said Niomi Larrivee, party co chair. "We count on the good people of Maine to help fund green change. We welcome people to be a part of this change, a party with moral values that stands for real beliefs. Now more than ever, a third party is needed to represent people in Maine, our nation and internationally."
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