When the Maine Legislature reconvenes in January 2022, work will continue on LD 1626, a bill to protect Wabanaki rights by restoring tribal self-governance to tribes in Maine. A public hearing on the bill will be held next session, but now is a great time to contact your legislators and legislative leaders and let them know why you support this bill … and why they should too. Here are some tips to get you started.
Not sure who your legislators are? You can find them and their email address and phone number in the Maine Voter Lookup. Just enter your address and then select the “Elected Officials” tab. Want to share your thoughts with Gov. Janet Mills? Find her contact info here.
SEND AN EMAIL
Emails from constituents can be very persuasive. If you, your family, or your community would benefit from passage of LD 1626, sharing that story with your elected officials will go a long way toward swaying them to support this bill. Be sure to include your name and town and contact information so they can follow-up with you.
NEED MORE BACKGROUND ON THE BILL?
Want to learn a little more about the bill before you contact your legislators? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for an overview on LD 1626, why the tribes support it, and why your legislators should too. Find the FAQ here.
STILL NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY?
We’ve created some talking points on the bill that may help you get started. Find the talking points here.
REPURPOSE YOUR EMAIL!
Now that you’ve written that email, why not share it with others as a letter to the editor (LTE) for your local newspaper? We’ve created an LTE guide with tips for letters and contact info for daily and weekly newspapers. Find the LTE Guide here. And be sure to hang on to your letter. It’ll be a great start for your testimony in support of LD 1626 for the public hearing next year. (We’ll have more on that later!)
