May 2026 newsletter

A note from courtney

Dear Maine's Recovery & Harm Reduction Community,

 

On behalf of our team, I am honored to introduce ME-RAP’s 132nd Legislative Session Report. This report reflects more than legislative outcomes. It reflects the people, communities, and relationships at the heart of this movement. It reflects what becomes possible when people directly impacted by substance use are trusted to lead.


By working together, we secured greater transparency and accountability for opioid settlement funds. We advanced efforts to expand access to community-based healthcare services and safe syringe disposal initiatives that enhance public safety for everyone. We also fought back against policies rooted in fear, punishment, and misinformation. Efforts to weaken Maine’s Good Samaritan Law, restrict evidence-based healthcare practices, and increase criminal penalties for people with substance use disorder were defeated. This is what is possible possible when communities organize and refuse to give up.

 

But make no mistake, progress is never guaranteed.


As Maine enters a major election year, with every legislative seat and the Governor’s office on the ballot, there is real uncertainty about what comes next. While ME-RAP did not always agree with Governor Mills or the Legislature on every issue, we never had to question whether basic overdose prevention and recovery efforts would be supported. We never had to fear restrictions on naloxone, the medication that saves lives during an overdose. That has not always been true in Maine, and depending on the outcome of this election, it may not remain true.


Your decisions at the ballot box in November will shape whether people are met with care or punishment when the next Governor takes office.

 

Our next Governor and Legislature will determine whether Maine continues moving forward or whether we are forced to fight to protect the progress we have already made. Whether or not people have access to tools, services, and support is on the ballot. 

 

Our votes on November 3rd will determine whether some people live or die.

Therefore, we cannot just sit idly by and wait for the results. 

 

This summer, our team will continue organizing across Maine, listening to communities, registering folks to vote, building relationships, developing new leaders, and preparing to continue the fight for policies rooted in dignity, evidence, equity, and care.  I hope you will join us.


And when November comes, I hope you will vote like your life depends on it, because for some of us, it does.


Thank you for standing with us and helping build a Maine where every person belongs, every life has value, and every community has the resources it needs to heal and thrive. Because this work has never just been about policy, party, or politics.


It is about people. And people are worth fighting for.

 

In solidarity,


132nd Legislature: Report & Scorecards

The 132nd Legislature has adjourned! We are excited to share with you our 2026 ME-RAP Legislative Report & Scorecards: 132nd Legislature. This report outlines our statewide policy work to address the needs, barriers, and hopes of Mainers impacted by SUD. Inside, you’ll find summaries of our priority legislation and other key bills from the session, including what each bill proposed, our position, and its final outcome. The report also includes legislative scorecards that measure how often lawmakers voted in alignment with our policy positions on priority bills.

We hope this resource helps community members better understand where their elected officials stand on issues impacting our communities, while also serving as a voter education tool ahead of this year’s elections.

View ME-RAP's 2026 Legislative Report & Scorecards

LD 1911: Clean Slate Maine Veto

By a razor slim margin, the Maine Senate upheld Governor Mills' veto of LD 1911.


Our hearts are heavy for the 123,000 Mainers who stood to gain second chances that they have already earned.


We want to acknowledge the courage and vulnerability of the Mainers who publicly shared their experiences of living with the weight of a past record. Your voices changed the hearts and minds of many.


We are forever grateful to Senator Talbot Ross for her fearlessness, tenacity, and years of work on criminal records reform that served as the foundation for this policy. She collaborated with stakeholders at every step of the way, garnering bi-partisan support for Clean Slate in the Judiciary Committee and the Legislature.

To the members of the Judiciary Committee, thank you for your diligence and commitment throughout multiple work sessions and revisions that resulted in a final bill informed by diverse stakeholder input. We are deeply grateful to our coalition partners whose tireless advocacy advanced our shared vision of a safer Maine where more families can achieve stability and economic security.


We also thank the advocates, legislators, organizations, legal experts, healthcare and social work professionals, prosecutors, businesses, and chambers of commerce who helped move this grassroots campaign forward. We look forward to continuing this work in the 133rd Legislature.

Host a ME-RAP Summer Listening Session!

Every summer between legislative sessions, ME-RAP holds community listening sessions throughout Maine to hear directly from impacted individuals, families, and communities. What we hear during these listening sessions directly shapes our policy platform for the next two years. We need to hear directly from you in order to craft policies that directly respond to the needs and barriers of our communities!

 

If you or your organization is interested in hosting ME-RAP for a summer listening session this year, please email tess@me-rap.org.


Weare seeking and Advocacy Coordinator!

We are excited to announce that we are hiring for an Advocacy Coordinator to join our team! We’re looking for someone organized, grounded, and aligned with our values to support our organizing network and legislative advocacy efforts.

 

Sound like you? Check out the job description below!

Learn More: Advocacy Coordinator

Join the ME-RAP Organizing Team!

Interested in joining our organizing team? Register to attend an onboarding session to the ME-RAP Organizing Team to review the work that we do as a team, your responsibilities as a volunteer organizer, and next steps. Attendance at one onboarding session is required to join the team. Register for an upcoming session today!

Register for an Onboarding Session