Maine Equal Justice

Bonus: By shopping at participating farmers’ markets and farm stands through the Maine Harvest Bucks program or co-ops and local grocers through the Farm Fresh Rewards program, you can double your SUN Bucks dollars!

SUN Bucks help kids get the nutrition they need while school is out! SUN Bucks can be used to buy groceries like fresh produce, meat, dairy and other staples at any participating retailer.

Find out more about SUN Bucks at: vist.ly/3z2fp

Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement Frank! (4/4)

But the biggest takeaway from colleagues was his leadership and mentorship that inspired a generation of advocates for economic justice who will carry on his good work for years to come. As he remarked at his retirement party, “I did pretty well for someone who was otherwise unemployable.” (3/4)

Now, after more than 4 decades of shaking things up, Frank is retiring. Frank worked on more than 10,000 cases during his career to help Mainers resolve their legal problems. And he helped pass dozens of laws that protect and expand Mainers’ rights, especially housing and consumer rights. (2/4)

Frank D’Alessandro spent his 40-year career (past 6 years as MEJ’s Legal Director) doing what others said couldn’t be done - launching big impact lawsuits from tiny legal aid offices, defending homeowners from losing their homes, or convincing courts and legislators to see things differently. (1/4)

Curious about EJPC? more info: https://maineequaljustice.org/get-involved/equal-justice-partners-circle/

🤩Yesterday, the 2025 Equal Justice Partners' Circle gathered to talk about & strategize solutions for problems we see in our communities. We found common ground across many different viewpoints, saw where our energy for change lies, and deepened friendships and solidarity! 🙏Thank you EJPC! ✊💙💚

Deny undocumented workers health care and Maine suffers | Opinion When these workers get sick and can’t get treatment, they can't work the challenging jobs that most of us won't do.

This is a thoughtful op-ed about how the policies targeting immigrants in President Trump's budget not only take away health care from people who need it; but will also make getting health care more challenging for ALL people in Maine:

vist.ly/3ys22

While it doesn't often make headlines, consumer rights REALLY make a difference in our day-to-day lives! Maine is a leader in this area; we often see lawmakers from both sides of the aisle come together for consumers in areas like student loans, banking, medicine, home ownership. vist.ly/3yckw

MEJ now has an office in Portland! This will be home to our housing legal team as they work w/ clients facing eviction. We created a wish list to make it more welcoming for clients & staff. To donate an item, just mark it off the list & email us to coordinate drop-off or shipping! vist.ly/3y8if

This terrible bill feels like a complete betrayal of Maine's values and the will of Maine voters. All four of Maine's Members of Congress voted NO, and we thank them. What can we do now? Plenty. Stay involved with us, we'll share info and ways to help: https://loom.ly/csZtOCs #mepolitics

In today's @portlandpressherald, plenty of good information about a very bad bill. No matter what happens next in Congress--Maine Equal Justice will continue to help Mainers sign up for and keep the health care, food, and other essentials they qualify for and need.

https://loom.ly/COLDLmw

At around 12pm today, the Senate passed its version of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill Act despite both Sen. Collins and Sen. King voting NO. It goes back to the House for more votes this week. We'll continue to provide updates and will have more to say.

Maine Equal Justice Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and highe...

Republican leaders in the Senate are insisting that they will vote on the budget resolution any day. The time to call our Senators make your voice heard is NOW.

Their phone numbers and a script can be found here: loom.ly/5Y8cj4Q

5. It could cause the closure of nursing homes, group homes, and hospitals serving rural and low-income communities – including four hospitals here in Maine that are already at risk.

4. It would blow a giant hole in our state budget by cutting hundreds of millions of dollars of funding to Maine–our state would need to make difficult decisions to cut important programs to make up the difference.

3. It would prevent immigrants with humanitarian protections (like refugees, asylees, and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking) from getting help with food and health care if they need it.

2. It would take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans who don’t meet harsh work requirements (not necessarily because they aren't meeting work requirements, but because of verification barriers).

Five ways the Senate budget resolution would harm Mainers:

1. It would take away health care coverage from millions, including nearly 65,000 Mainers who rely on Medicaid (MaineCare) or the ACA Marketplace (CoverME.gov). (1/5)

There aren’t any Medicaid cuts. But if there are, they’re just waste fraud and abuse. But if they’re not, it’s just illegals. But if it’s not, it’s just layabouts. But if it’s not, you’ll get over it. But if you don’t, we all have to die sometime.

A road map representing the process for Maine's budget path from the Governor, through the legislature and becoming law. A car marked 'made it!' sits at the end, showing that this year's budget is finished!

📢 STATE UPDATE: the legislature passed Maine's budget and Gov. Mills has signed it! On our blog: cheering for a doubled child tax credit for low and moderate income families, and the tough loss of funding this year for the Eviction Prevention Program. loom.ly/Raq-BAw #mepolitics

Health care advocates say changes to ACA marketplace plans threaten Maine's healthcare system More than 64,000 Mainers have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's online marketplace. But state officials and health care advocates say that many would lose coverage under proposed chan...

"More than 64,000 Mainers have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's online marketplace. But state officials and health care advocates say that many would lose coverage under proposed changes in the Congressional budget bill."
www.mainepublic.org/health/2025-...

Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid could affect programs that Mainers with disabilities rely on A number of programs that connect Mainers with disabilities and encourage them to live independently receive significant federal funding.

A number of programs that connect Mainers with disabilities to community and encourage them to live independently receive significant federal funding.
via Maine Public

Don’t forget about Maine’s youngest victims of Medicaid cuts | Opinion There's a lot at stake right now for the 140,000 children in our state who rely on the government health insurance program.

"Every child in Maine will feel the effects of these cuts because #Medicaid [MaineCare] funding supports the entire pediatric health system, from individual practices to children’s hospitals."
loom.ly/S036J9Q

Maine Equal Justice Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and highe...

Gutting Medicaid means Mainers from Presque Isle to Portland suffer and lose access to care. We can’t let that happen - call Sen. Collins and Sen. King NOW and ask them to protect health care and vote NO. loom.ly/csZtOCs

This week, the U.S. Senate released a plan to take away health care, including Medicaid (MaineCare) from millions of people. The reasons we heard years ago during the Medicaid expansion campaign are still the ones we hear today - Maine people work hard but still struggle to afford healthcare.

"I would then also have to find childcare for my children. And that’s another significant expense. As a single mom, we don’t have a two-parent household. So yeah, it would be a real ripple effect."

If she were to lose MaineCare, Kasey said she might be forced to quit her job to find full-time work that offers health insurance—assuming such a job exists in her rural area.

“I couldn’t find suitable childcare within an hour from us,” she said, explaining that was one of the many obstacles that led her to seek public assistance for the first time.