WHERE: Park at the State Office Building Parking Garage for free. Walk across the street to the Maine State House, enter through Security, and meet in the Welcome Center which adjoins the Security Screening Station on the right. We will have folks posted to help guide you to the correct location. There may be a considerable line, so please arrive 30 minutes early so we can get started in a timely fashion!
WHEN: Thursday, March 16 from 8:30 AM – 11 AM. Schedule below.
8:30: Welcome and training (and group photo!) in the State House Welcome Center, directly to the right of the Security Screening Station. Note: We’re required to pass through a metal detector. Please bring as little as possible!
9:30: Find your lawmakers and have conversations!
10:15: Meet outside of the House Chamber.
10:45: State of the Tribes address begins. You may want to stick around afterwards in case you don’t get a chance to catch your lawmaker beforehand. There will be another opportunity for a group photo, this time including legislators, after the address!
WHO: All are welcome! We need a strong show of support to remind lawmakers that when the Wabanaki thrive, we all thrive. If you need a ride to the State House, please indicate that on the sign up form. We will try to coordinate rides for whoever needs one.
WHAT: Lobby Day is an opportunity to talk to your state senator and representative about legislation that would restore the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-govern. At 8:30 AM there will be a briefing on the bill, a training on lobbying, and a distribution of handouts with talking points to give to your state legislators. You may be grouped with other people from your district. We will also hand out Wabanaki Alliance stickers for everyone to wear. This will help make us a visually unified presence in the State House.
Once in the State House, constituents can gather outside of the House Chamber to talk to legislators as they file in for the State of the Tribes address. You can get help finding your lawmakers by asking one of the folks in our group wearing an orange sticker.
Remember to register here if you plan to attend.
All of us at Team MCV hope to see you there!
Beth, Gina, Greta, Kathleen, Kelt, Maggie, Maureen, Meghan, Rani, Stacie, and Will
