april 2024 NEWSLETTER

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES


LD 1714: An Act to Create a Sustainable Funding Source for Recovery Community Centers

It has been almost a full year since recovery advocates from across Maine turned out at a public hearing to urge the Taxation Committee to fund LD 1714, a bill that will create a supplemental funding stream for recovery community centers. As the legislative session is nearing its end, recovery community centers, advocates, and allies continue to urge the Appropriations Committees to prioritize funding for LD 1714 in this budget.

 

Read more below to learn why additional funding for Maine's RCCs would strengthen recovery services at a time when the need has never been greater.


Join us at the Maine State House for a LD 1714 Day of Action! We will begin the morning in the Cafe in the Cross Building at 9AM to get targets, before spending the morning talking with lawmakers. We will share with legislators why 1714 should be funded and why this legislation will help recovery community centers keep their doors open to serve their communities for years to come!


If this will be your first time coming to the State House to speak with lawmakers, do not worry. We will have folks attending with experience that you can shadow or go to for support!


We will debrief at Noon in the cafe with pizza! Come if you can! Let us know if gas/transportation is a barrier, we can help.

LD 1215: An Act to End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

We remain committed to urging legislators to reject the proposed ban on flavored tobacco products. Bans are not the answer.


 

Although the intentions of the ban are admirable, ME-RAP advocates know far to well the negative and unintended consequences of bans on addictive substances. We have seen the grave danger and risk of bodily harm that ensues when products are no longer regulated and more lethal products make their way to illicit markets. We have seen how the War on Drugs is failing our communities and disproportionately impacting people with substance use disorders and folks with lower socioeconomic means.

 


We will continue to advocate for alternative policy solutions that will prevent tobacco use, go after predatory marketing tactics of large tobacco companies, and increase smoking cessation programs. Mainers deserve policy solutions that will prevent youth nicotine dependence, while ensuring that adults have access to evidence-based smoking cessation tools.

 


The definition of 'Recovery' put forth by SAMHSA notes that Recovery includes a "self-directed life". We ask legislators to stand up for those in recovery that are engaging in the process of change and making autonomous decisions to live healthier lives, which must include access to harm reduction tools. 

LD 1975: A Public Health Approach to Maine's Opioid Crisis

LD 1975 was introduced last session by Representative Lydia Crafts with bipartisan support. From the start, this legislation has always had two major goals: increase access to low-barrier SUD and mental health services and to shift Maine's response to SUD from a punitive approach to a public health response. After listening to stakeholders, Rep. Crafts introduced an amendment that would call for the funding of receiving centers in 4 counties and that would increase the threshold for felony possession to 1 gram for most substances to more closely align Maine's drug laws with actual drug use. 

On Thursday the Health and Human Services Committee voted to strike the proposed Amendment to LD 1975 and replace it with a study to look at the impacts of decriminalization and amending threshold amounts. While we are still processing this decision, we want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to Representative Lydia Crafts for her unwavering advocacy and hard work over the last two years. Her tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we are incredibly grateful for her dedication to improving the lives of individuals in our community.

Bills We Are watching

  • LD 2138 - Sponsored by Rep. Madigan, this bill proposes increased funding for low barrier shelters. Although LD 2138 did not pass out of Committee, its proposal was included in an Amendment to LD 2136, which did pass out of Committee and will also increase funding for homeless shelters. 
  • LD 2146 - Sponsored by Rep. Lookner, this bill prevents municipalities from enacting moratorium on emergency shelters. LD 2146 just passed the House as amended, which if passed would apply to cities or towns of +20,000 residents and currently awaits a vote in the Senate.
  • LD 1596- Sponsored by Sen. President Jackson, LD 1596 just passed the House and Senate, as amended. The amendment provides that the goals of the SUD programs established in the Superior Courts and District Courts include ensuring that such programs are available statewide and accessible to rural Maine.
  • LD 2089 - Sponsored by Senator Farrin, LD 2089 is scheduled to have a work session in the last week of February. LD 2089 requires 10 hours of instruction for grades 6-12 regarding prevention of the illegal use of fentanyl and other drugs with a high risk of overdose. It also establishes the 3rd full week of October annually as Drug Poisoning Awareness Week.


Organizer Spotlight

Amy Clark is a volunteer organizer for ME-RAP who has been working to champion recovery efforts across the state for close to seven years. As a recovery ally, she supports individuals in recovery, people who use drugs, and their families. She serves as a long-time member of the Board of Directors at Bangor Area Recovery Network, where she co-facilitates a monthly support group for affected others. By day, she serves as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Haley Ward, a technical consulting firm offering engineering, environmental, architecture and surveying services across New England and Florida. Amy holds a BFA from Texas Christian University and an MBA from Husson University, blending creativity with strategic thinking to make a positive impact in her community.