Events Calendar

Perhaps no single topic has proven more difficult to address at the state and national level than health care. Few issues have such a direct impact on millions of families and individuals. And at 18% of our national GDP, no other issue presents comparable financial stakes. As a result, health care industry forces have an abiding presence in government at all levels, and participate in campaign funding for races in Maine and across the country.

Are wealthy and powerful corporations and organizations able to bend health care policy to favor their interests? Is public policy in this vital area subject to the popular will, or do lobbyists, contributors, and other powerful forces stand between the people and the solutions they desire?

Join this discussion with leading professionals in the field to discuss Power, Health Care, and Democracy. Former State Representative John Brautigam will moderate an impressive guest panel:

• Hon. Geoff Gratwick – Physician and former Senate Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee
• Dr. Phil Caper – Physician and board member of Maine Allcare
• Kate Sykes – Former investigative reporter and universal health care advocate

Our book group, like so much else, has moved to Zoom. For March, we’re reading the The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel, Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2020. Here's a Guardian review, and an interview with the author: Michael Sandel: 'The populist backlash has been a revolt against the tyranny of merit'

Email downeast@lwvme.org for more information or to get the Zoom link. 

Do you want to be strategic and effective as you spread the word about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Join this workshop to learn how to successfully create a personal outreach plan. We'll do friend mapping, create outreach strategies, and develop personalized scripts. You'll leave this workshop ready to talk to people about the National Popular Vote and make a difference.

The League of Women Voters Downeast invites you to gather for an informal, non-partisan conversation with Steve Wessler about how to foster dialogue between people who disagree on important topics. Steve Wessler is a Maine human rights educator, trainer, and advocate specializing in conflict resolution.  He works with schools, colleges, non-profit organizations, healthcare institutions, law enforcement agencies, work places, and communities to prevent bias, harassment, discrimination, and violence.  See stevewessler.com for more information about Steve. Join us and share your experiences.

Join the Bangor League for a discussion of The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back by Thom Hartmann.

Registration forthcoming.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. In this book, Wilkerson writes that beyond race or class, a powerful caste system influences how we see and behave in American society. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations

JOIN HERE

Passcode: 217993
No registration is required. 

Fair Elections Portland is working to establish a public funding system for school board, city council, and mayoral candidates, stemming the tide of big money’s influence and enabling more candidates to run competitive races.

What would clean elections look like in Portland? This webinar will cover the different approaches to policy, what has been done in other cities, and what would work in Portland. 

Do you want to be strategic and effective as you spread the word about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Join this workshop to learn how to successfully create a personal outreach plan. We'll do friend mapping, create outreach strategies, and develop personalized scripts. You'll leave this workshop ready to talk to people about the National Popular Vote and make a difference.

Do you agree that in a presidential campaign:

+ The presidential candidate with the most votes in all 50 states should win?
+ Presidential candidates should have to seek support in all 50 states?
+ Every vote in every state in every election should be equal?
+ That getting more Americans to participate and vote would be a good thing for our country and democracy?

Join us to learn about how the National Popular Vote Compact can help achieve all of this without constitutional changes, and within the Electoral College structure. A National Popular Vote (NPV) bill will be introduced in the Maine Legislature in the next session. This webinar will focus on understanding how NPV works, and provide clarity about some common misunderstandings about the Electoral College and the National Popular Vote.

Presented by the League of Women Voters to Piscatiquis County Democratic Committee.

Join us for a monthly update on the effort to pass the National Popular Vote in Maine!

Do you want to be strategic and effective as you spread the word about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Join this workshop to learn how to successfully create a personal outreach plan. We'll do friend mapping, create outreach strategies, and develop personalized scripts. You'll leave this workshop ready to talk to people about the National Popular Vote and make a difference.

Observers aren't just for elections! Become a Local Government Observer! The League’s Election Observer team organized legions of motivated volunteers for the November 3 election. Now we're ready for the next step: local government observation. Lane Sturtevant from the LWVME will lead a discussion on the Local Government Observer program and how you can get involved.

Do you want to be strategic and effective as you spread the word about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Join this workshop to learn how to successfully create a personal outreach plan. We'll do friend mapping, create outreach strategies, and develop personalized scripts. You'll leave this workshop ready to talk to people about the National Popular Vote and make a difference.

Join the Bangor League for a discussion of The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age by Tim Wu.

Registration forthcoming.