Maine Food Policy News
#9 April 12, 2021
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Published weekly with support from
an Elmina B. Sewall Foundation grant to Maine Farm to Institution
The Maine Food Policy Website is now live. It includes an archive of all Newsletters, along with complete listings of all Bills we are tracking sorted by topics, tips on Taking Action and more. We continue to build this site as a toolbox for Food Justice and Democracy.
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Key Committee Schedules 4/12 - 4/23
Note: 1470 Bills have been published as of 4/12. We continue to monitor over 75 Bills. As this # continues to grow, its harder to present Committee dynamics. We urge you to subscribe to Take Action Alerts from various stakeholder groups to learn more (see links below).
Note: Each Bill listed has 3 clickable links:
- LD # link takes you to PDF text for the Bill
- Committee links takes you to Committee Page
- YouTube links takes you to present and past hearings
Abbreviations used for Committees:
Pollution/Pesticide Bills
LD 1158 An Act Regarding the Application of Certain Pesticides for Nonagricultural Use Sponsored by Rep Collings Hearing Apr 13, 9am before AFC Committee. This bill prohibits the use of persistent synthetic pesticides except pesticides that are used in the production of agricultural products. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convene a working group to review the composition of the Board of Pesticides Control with respect to whether the board equitably represents public, environmental and industry interests and to identify whether the service of any of the board members gives the appearance of a financial conflict of interest. ACF YouTube
LD 1159 An Act To Amend the Membership Requirements of the Board of Pesticides Control Sponsored by Rep. Osher, Hearing Apr 13, 9am before AFC Committee. ACF YouTube
LD 264 An Act To Prohibit Aerial Application of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, sponsored by Rep. Pluecker, Hearing April 15, 9am before ACF Committee ACF YouTube
LD 1388 An Act To Require Testing of Public Drinking Water Supplies for Toxic Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and To Establish Maximum Contaminant Levels, sponsored by Rep. Pluecker Hearing April 13, 9am before HHS Committee. HHS YouTube
LD 640 An Act To Ban Single-serving, Disposable Plastic Water Bottles sponsored by Rep Gramlich, Hearing April 14, 10am before ENR Committee This bill prohibits the sale, offering for sale and distribution for promotional purposes of uncarbonated, unflavored drinking water in containers of one liter or less that are made of plastic except during proclaimed a emergency. ENR YouTube
Bills before ACF Committee
LD 95 Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Establish a Right to Food, sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, Hearing April 15, 9am before ACF Committee This constitutional resolution declares 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. ACF YouTube
LD 820 Resolve, To Convene a Working Group To Develop Plans To Protect Maine's Agricultural Lands When Siting Solar Arrays, sponsored by Sen. Claxton, Hearing April 15, 9am before ACF Committee ACF YouTube
LD 870 Resolve, Directing the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations To Study the Impact of Agricultural Policy, Land Access Structures, Grant Access Programs and Access to Financing on Dispossessed African-American and Indigenous Farmers in the State sponsored by Rep. Bill Pluecker, Hearing April 15, 9am before ACF Committee ACF YouTube
LD 937 Resolve, To Facilitate the Provision of Incentives for Soil Carbon Storage, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Osher, Hearing April 15, 9am before ACF Committee Convenes a stakeholder group to develop recommendations for the establishment of programs and policies designed to incentivize the effective sequestration of carbon in soils by landowners and land managers in the State ACF YouTube
LD 1299 An Act To Permit Emergency Funding for Food Banks When a State of Emergency is Declared
Sponsored by Rep Paulhus, Hearing Apr 22, 9am before AFC Committee. This bill authorizes the Governor to distribute up to $400,000 from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund during a state of emergency to nonprofit entities, including food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens, that provide or distribute food to low-income, indigent or unemployed individuals or households without charge. ACF YouTube
Maritime Bills
LD 1182 An Act To Allow Commercial Lobster License Holders To Possess a Marine Harvesting Demonstration License Sponsored by Rep. Faulkingham Hearing April 13, 9am before Marine Resources Comm. MAR YouTube
LD 1146 An Act To Protect Maine's Ocean Waters and Support Regulatory Oversight and the Long-term Health of the Aquaculture Industry Sponsored by Rep Robert Alley Hearing April 13, 9 am before Marine Resources Comm. MAR YouTube
Climate Bills
LD 815 An Act to Support School Decarbonization, sponsored by Sen. Maxmin, Hearing April 6, 9 am before EUT Committee. Current law requires the Efficiency Maine Trust to develop and administer a school energy savings program. This bill changes the program to a school decarbonization program and requires the trust to provide technical and financial support to help kindergarten to grade 12 schools become carbon neutral. EUT YouTube
LD 1100 An Act To Support the Continued Access to Solar Energy and Battery Storage by Maine Homes and Businesses Sponsored by Sen. Woodsome, Hearing April 13, 9 am before EUT Committee, EUT YouTube
Other Bills
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Federal Food and Agriculture Bills
The News is beginning to expand coverage of national legislation. Bills listed below have links to PDFs for each.
HR 7554, American Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act
HR 5861: Agricullture Resilience Act.
HR 5845: Break Free from Plastic Pollutions Act
Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12) introduced the Local and Regional Farmer and Market Support Act (H.R. 8096), and it will help meet the needs of farmers who've been left out during the pandemic. Here are THREE big reasons to support this bill:
- It offers direct support for producers selling into local and regional markets based on the losses they've experienced.
- It prioritizes funding for BIPOC farmers and low-income communities of color and includes robust outreach, technical assistance, and data collection to ensure that aid is distributed equitably.
- It provides emergency response grants for farmers markets and local food enterprises to allow those operations to adapt to new market conditions, implement public health and safety protections, and further support communities experiencing food insecurity.
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Sign up Here for Key Policy Alerts from Kindred Policy Organizations
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Events:
Farm-Based Education Network
3-4:30pm, April 15, and 29, 2021
Hosted by Food Tank
April 28, 2021
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For more information, contact Ken Morse, Coordinator of the Maine Food Policy Work Group
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The Maine Food Policy Work Group is a collaboration of organizations and people working to promote good food policies in Maine. It was started by Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI), with support from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation. |
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Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) is the fiscal and staffing home of the Maine Food Policy Work Group. HCCA's mission is to convene and support people, organizations, and communities to collaborate on quality of life and public health issues.
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