TAKE ACTION
There is a new 'gold rush' happening. Aerospace corporations want to make big $$$ by joining the space race. Maine is now climbing onboard. All over the world local communties (and states like Maine) are being promised lots of jobs, environmentally friendly and civilian launches if they support the aerospace industry and help build rocket launch sites.
As it turns out Maine has taken the bait and is working to build at least two launch sites - one in Steuben (near Acadia National Park) and the other at former Loring Air Force Base near Limestone and Caribou in Aroostook County.
The Global Network and Maine Natural Guard organized the No Toxic Rockets for ME campaign that held a peaceful protest outside the conference venue on Monday, November 6. See photos from the protest here.
We already know that money from NASA and the newly formed US Space Force is being promised to Maine aerospace startups. The Space Force wants Maine rocket launch companies to hoist military surveillance and war fighting satellites into increasingly corwded Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). They also want to test Hypersonic missiles in our state. One Maine aerospace CEO told us at the recent Common Ground Fair that the Space Force wants to fill up LEO before China and Russia can get there. So Maine appears to be heading into the dangerous and destabilizing rush to militarize space.
Help us cover expenses for this campaign to stop rocket launch sites in Maine!
Our fiscal sponsor is the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.
All donations are tax deductible!
Send checks to:
Global Network
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
LD 1923, "An Act To Establish the Maine Space Corporation", was voted quietly out of the IDEA committee on April 1, with the House and Senate voting to Engross the amended version of the bill on Tuesday April 5.
LD 1923 may have an Enactment soon in the House and Senate. There appears to have been no debate on the floor of the House or Senate for approving the amendment, which passed "under the hammer" without a roll-call vote. The amended bill language is available here and includes:
"removes the prohibition of public officials, members of the board of directors or employees of the corporation from acquiring or holding a direct or indirect financial or personal interest in a corporation activity, a corporation property or a contract or proposed contract in connection with a corporation activity."
There is no significant fiscal note on the amended bill.
Contact your Senators ASAP urging them to vote no on LD 1923.
important for people to contact their Senator between now and Tuesday Apr 12 urging them to vote No on LD 1923. It's helpful to both send a personal email and call them (let them know that you live and/or work in their District, briefly why you are asking them to oppose LD 1923, and leave a way for them to contact you.)
On Tuesday you can call the Senate Offices at (800) 423-6900 to have a message delivered to your Senator directly.
You can also leave a message or send a fax through the Senate Leadership Offices. Not many people send faxes, so they sometimes tend to be noticed more than email communications.)
If your Senator is a Democrat, call (207) 287-1515 or fax (207) 287-1585
If your Senator is a Republican, call (207) 287-1505 (207) 287-1527
ACTION LINKS
Call your Maine representative and senator
State House clerks will deliver your message to the floor of the House or Senate when in session
Leave a message for you representative: 1-800-423-2900
Leave a message for your senator: 1-800-423-6900
Send email to your Maine representative and senator
https://legislature.maine.gov/contact
Find your representative
https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles
Find your senator
https://legislature.maine.gov/senate-home-page/find-your-state-senator
Submit public testimony on LD 1923
https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony
When prompted, select committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement, and Business (IDEA) Committee
Select date: Feb 1 9:30am (of the public hearing)
Fill in your info and paste in your testimony.
Send email to Gov. Mills
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/contact/share-your-opinion
Send a letter to the editor
Portland Press Herald
https://www.pressherald.com/reader-services/letters-editor/
Times Record
https://www.pressherald.com/times-record-letters-to-the-editor/
Bangor Daily News
https://bangordailynews.com/submit/
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
https://www.centralmaine.com/letters-editor/
TALKING POINTS
All rocket launches cause harm to our climate no matter what they claim and no matter what kind of fuel they use. Climate crisis is hastened by rocket launches, and this is a rapidly growing concern. Aluminum oxide produced when launches fail and burn up re-entering Earth's airspace cause significant damage to the ozone layer.
Environmental toxins such as PFAS from fire-suppression systems at rocket launch sites pose a deadly threat to our water and soil. Aluminum fallout from rockets and payloads that fail falls to Earth, along with other chemicals from the incineration of plastics and other components of rockets.
All rocket launch sites previously built on the promise that there would be no military use failed to keep that promise. In Kodiak, Alaska their "civilian-use only" site has both the Pentagon and Israel's military using it for rocket launches of weapons and surveillance systems.
Birds in particular are harmed by rocket launches, often with mass death events following a launch. Jonesport's commercial fishing community imposed a moratorium on rocket launch sites due to concerns about disruption to their livelihood.
Publicly supported development of facilities intended for private profit is a bad deal for taxpayers. Why socialize research and development costs while privatizing the eventual profits? (Note: the recent U.S. covid vaccines developed after publicly funded research then sold for immense profits are perfect examples of this type of bad deal for the public.)
Radio interview with Lisa Savage Feb 9
Discussion of LD 1923 begins around 5:20 on this recording.
SPEAK UP!
Let our voices be heard so that it can never again be said that "no one spoke in opposition" to LD 1923.
Videos of the work sessions for this bill
Feb. 8
Feb. 22
March 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRXTOPQseuU
Example messages:
I’ve learned that Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, all of which have companies located in Maine, have just been awarded Pentagon contracts to develop hypersonic weapons...What clear and unambiguous assurances do we have that once the infrastructure is in place it will not be used for military purposes, either now or in the future?
Louisa, Brunswick
One more horrible idea that we can not allow to destroy the state and the planet we love.
Claire, Blue Hill
The Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement, and Business (IDEA) Committee of the Maine Legislature has still not passed this bill on to the legislature pending language review of two amendments.
Notes we took during work sessions are available here in one doc.
You can contact your own rep and senator with concerns about building toxic rocket launch sites in Maine.
Possible future work sessions to consider the amendments will stream live at:
https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/IDEA
IDEA Committee Members
Senator Chip Curry - D
Committee Chair
13 Parkside Lane Belfast, ME 04915
Chip.Curry@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Tiffany Roberts - D
Committee Chair (cosponsor of LD 1923)
35 Buttonwood Road South Berwick, ME 03908
Tiffany.Roberts@Legislature.Maine.gov
Senator Scott Cyrway - R
(cosponsor of LD 1923)
463 Benton Road Albion, ME 04910
Scott.Cyrway@legislature.maine.gov
Senator Joseph Rafferty - D
49 Middle Road Kennebunk, ME 04043
Joseph.Rafferty@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative John Andrews - R
P.O. Box 118 Paris, ME 04281
John.Andrews@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Susan Austin - R
136 Yarmouth Road Gray, ME 04039
Sue.Austin@legislature.maine.gov
Representative Sue Bernard - R
70 Grimes Road Caribou, ME 04736
Susan.Bernard@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Amanda Collamore - R
173 Library Street Pittsfield, ME 04967
Amanda.Collamore@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Jack Ducharme R
34 Heald Street Madison, ME 04950
John.Ducharme@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Valli Geiger - D
1 Green Way Rockland, ME 04841
Valli.Geiger@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Tavis Hasenfus - D
50 Nobis Point Readfield, ME 04355
Tavis.Hasenfus@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Raegan LaRochelle - D
102 Hemlock Terrace Augusta, ME 04330
Raegan.LaRochelle@Legislature.Maine.gov
Representative Sarah Pebworth - D
P.O. Box 347 Blue Hill, ME 04614
Sarah.Pebworth@Legislature.Maine.gov
Explanatory emails from those who case dissenting votes on the IDEA Committee:
Feb. 24, 2022
Lisa,
They rammed through this bill without enough discussion. It will most likely come back with language review. Rep. Ducharme and I voted a straight ONTP, the other Republicans voted ONTP, but with stipulations for things they wanted to be addressed or changed. The Chairs can answer better if we will see it again or not.
In the future if you or your friends go on YouTube and search 'Maine legislature IDEA Committee' you will find a live video feed of all of our meetings and you will be able to see who is speaking.
If your people would like to testify they can be part of the conversation by registering and getting a link. Probably too late for this one, I am sorry about that. This is why we need in person public hearings again!
John Andrews
State Representative for House District 73
Serving Buckfield, Hebron and Paris
Cell: 207-739-9075
John.Andrews@legislature.maine.gov
Feb. 24, 2022
Hi Lisa,
...The original committee vote on LD 1923 was Ought to Pass as Amended (Amendment not yet written)
Yes - 6 votes - All D's - missing Rep Rafferty - Likely votes with D's making it 7 Yes Votes
No - 5 votes - All R's - missing Rep. Bernard
When discussing the "divided report" we determined that some voted NO because they didn't like certain language. Some just wanted to vote Ought Not to Pass.
3 of the 5 R's went with Ought to Pass as Amended (with different amendment language yet to be developed) Rep. Bernard has Loring in her district and went with this group making that vote total of 4
Two of us were simply Ought NOT to Pass.
My vote was Ought not to Pass because there are so many things left unresolved and unanswered in this legislation. I'm not willing to agree to pass something if I don't understand the details or the fiscal cost. They told us that we'd have to pass it to find out the cost. I'm not willing to do that with something that could cost $100 million dollars in Maine taxpayer money. The Space Consortium Strategic plan suggest around $90 million but we all know how these projects go.
Hope this helps with your understanding of the vote.
Rep. Jack Ducharme
34 Heald St, Madison ME 04950
207-431-0775
Me House District 111
Solon, Norridgewock, Madison (most of)