131st Maine Legislature Wrap Up
MEEA Director of Policy Amara Ifeji pictured in Washington, D.C.
As the 131st Maine Legislature wraps up this week, our staff reflects on our accomplishments this legislative session. One of MEEA’s critical levers for change, and services to the field of environmental education, is mobilizing transformative policies. This is MEEA’s first year engaging full-time in the session.
These months have been filled with much learning as we advanced policy change with our network partners. At the state level, we joined Maine’s Environmental Priorities Coalition, where we joined over 30 organizations to promote policies centering Maine’s people and environment. These efforts included supporting the bills at the Maine Conservation Lobby Day held last month at the statehouse. We also participated in the Wabanaki Alliance Lobby Day in April, where we joined over 200 individuals in expressing the importance of passing tribal self-determination. LD 2007 and our priority bill, LD 1642 (Wabanaki Studies), will be carried over to next year, and we are excited to continue supporting these crucial efforts.
Lisa Pahel, Policy Adviser for Rep. Chellie Pingree (left), poses with Amara Ifeji (right)
For the second year, MEEA and our Changemakers network collaborated with Maine Youth Climate Justice and other groups to organize the annual Youth Day of Action. Held in April, this event at the Statehouse was a huge success. Over 150 youth participated, and it served as an intergenerational space where
youth, educators, elders, parents, legislators, and others rallied around climate justice policies in Maine. MEEA’s Director of Policy, Amara Ifeji, and other Changemakers were featured in the news, where they shared their calls to action. At the event, Amara spoke about the importance of outdoor education and another one of our priority legislation, LD 1817, Outdoor School For All. During this session, MEEA staff delivered testimony supporting the bill, collaborated on a teach-in about the effort, participated in a legislative briefing with legislators, and attended the Hall of Flags event for the bill in March. Although the bill has not yet been funded, we hope it will receive the funds to ensure all Maine youth have access to powerful outdoor learning opportunities. Another one of MEEA’s priorities, LD 612, was funded by the Appropriations Committee and will support the hiring of a Green Schools Coordinator at the Maine Department of Education.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (left) with Amara Ifeji (right)
We also saw much success in the 118th Congress. The No Child Left Inside Act was reintroduced by Senators Collins and Reed this April. MEEA’s Policy Director was quoted in Senator Collins’ press release for the bill, where she highlighted the benefits of outdoor learning. Amara also discussed this and our state outdoor learning bill on the Public News Service earlier this month.
During this Congress, Senator Heinrich also reintroduced another one of our priority bills, the Living Schoolyards Act. Amara shared about these exciting national initiatives with our congressional delegation in DC this month. She also met with MEEA’s network partners at NOAA, EPA, Aspen Institute, and the North American Environmental Education Association.
MEEA is so grateful to be able to contribute to such exciting systems change work and for the successes of this legislative session. We are even more thankful for those in our network who support this work and make it possible.
-by Amara Ifeji, Director of Policy
Amara Ifeji (left) with Kate Durost, Legislative Aide for Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (right)
