take action!
Keep Maine’s lakes healthy by speaking up for sound, science-based lake policy in Augusta!
submit testimony for a bill
Bills are scheduled for hearings with relevant committees. Hearings are a great opportunity for you to speak directly to committee members and share support (or opposition) for a bill. Lake bills that priorities for Maine Lakes are listed HERE (link to advocacy page).
There are two ways to submit testimony for a bill.
Speak at a Hearing (in person or via Zoom): The most powerful way to influence legislation is to speak before a legislative committee at a public hearing. While you may feel intimidated by the thought of a hearing, committees are small (generally 10-12 members present) and very welcoming to the public. They love to hear from people who are passionate about the problems they are trying to solve. Sharing personal stories about how the bill affects you, your family, and the lakes that you love are compelling. Note that spoken testimony is often limited to three minutes. If you have more to say, you can bring written testimony along and pass it to the committee (20 copies are required for written submissions).
Submit Written Testimony: The legislature has made it very easy to submit written testimony online. Visit www.legislature.maine.gov, and click on the “Testimony Submission” button (bottom right). At the next screen select the committee where the bill is being heard, then the date and time. Check the box for the bill you want to address. Upload your document (Word or PDF). You can also type text directly into the submission box. Below that, add your full name, town or organization in Maine (either full time or part time/seasonal residence), email and phone. While there is no limit on how long written testimony can be, shorter testimony is generally better. Like with spoken testimony, personal stories of what lakes mean to you and why you care about actions that protect lakes are most compelling. If you take talking points from an alert, try to personalize them as much as you can.
TIPS FOR WRITTEN TESTIMONY
reach out to your legislators
Another way to influence a bill is to call your legislator, or even better, to meet with them face-to-face. This contact is especially important if your legislators are on key committees that work on lake bills (Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or Environment and Natural Resources) (For either of these committee websites, scroll down to see the members of the committee and their email addresses, as well as hearing schedules and links to all active committee bills).
If your legislator is not on one of those committees, it’s still helpful to reach out to them about important lake bills. Once a bill moves out of committee, they are vital for helping build support for a floor vote.
You can find your legislators by entering your Maine address at the Natural Resources of Maine’s website HERE
TIPS ON SPEAKING TO YOUR LEGISLAToRs
OTHER RESOURCES
- Sign up for our Legislative Alerts to receive periodic notices about advocacy opportunities.
- Learn more about current advocacy opportunities here.
Thank you for speaking up for lake health, erosion reduction, water quality, lake wildlife, risks of invasive plants, climate change impacts and so many other important lake issues. Support for common-sense lake protection measures from people like you is essential for the future health of Maine’s lakes.