Latest news with #MaineMedicalAssociation
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proposal would exempt minors from reporting gender identity, sexual orientation on health forms
(Photo by Getty Images) Last year, Maine lawmakers passed a law requiring health care providers to collect and record data on the sexual orientation and gender identity of their patients, which proponents said would help providers improve their quality of care. This year, a legislator is seeking to modify that requirement so that it no longer applies to minors. Bill sponsor Ambureen Rana (D-Bangor) and medical experts said Monday that the change would grant health care providers more flexibility when it comes to how and when to discuss concerns or issues related to sexual or gender identity with young people, understanding that these conversations may impact their physical or mental health. The bill (LD 1945) would also remove the stipulation that providers collect this data from all patients during each doctor's visit — a provision that means these conversations are being forced, rather than letting providers assess the best times to ask these questions, Rana said. The rule change is supported by the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. During a public hearing before the Maine Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, the health associations both said that the new law allowed people, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, to discuss their own identity, rather than have providers make assumptions. However, they believe collecting that information on every visit is unnecessary, particularly for minors who may not be ready to talk about those topics. The new bill comes as scrutiny of transgender people, particularly students, is increasing nationwide and in Maine, while some Republican lawmakers are seeking to roll back affirming gender identity protections, including gender affirming care. Protecting the privacy and safety of minors is an important goal of the proposed bill, said Madeleine DesFosses, advocacy and public health manager of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Requiring health care providers to collect information through an intake form related to gender identity and sexuality for a minor may put them in an uncomfortable or confusing position,' she said. 'A minor may not feel comfortable or safe disclosing their gender or sexual identity in a healthcare setting. In addition, data may be skewed if a minor doesn't feel they can be truthful about their gender identity or sexuality in this kind of setting.' Under current law, anyone can decline to share this information, which the bill does not aim to change. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gun control debate returns to Maine State House as lawmakers take up new bills
Mar. 26—AUGUSTA — Debate over Maine's firearm laws returned to the State House on Wednesday as lawmakers took up a slate of new gun bills and advocates on both sides turned out for a full day of hearings. One set of bills focused on gun control would ban bump stocks and other rapid-fire devices, prohibit large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and ban untraceable "ghost guns." Another set of gun rights proposals would ease Maine's concealed carry law, which allows lawful firearm owners 21 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. They included bills to lower the minimum age to 18 and remove the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun in state parks and Acadia National Park, a proposal the bill's sponsor described as a "cleanup" of state law to better align it with park rules and federal law. A third bill would eliminate the requirement that anyone carrying a concealed handgun without a permit and who comes in contact with a law enforcement officer during an arrest, detainment or traffic stop immediately inform the officer they are carrying. The Judiciary Committee heard more than seven hours of testimony on the proposals Wednesday, including emotional testimony from a Portland-area student who cried as she recounted witnessing a shooting outside a restaurant when she was in third grade. She urged lawmakers to support the gun control bills. "Gun violence has a devastating impact on individuals, communities and society," said the student, who identified herself only using her first name, Iris. "We need to implement gun safety laws if we're ever going to create a society where gun violence is not an everyday fear," she said. "We cannot ignore the trauma and fear that has built up in people. It is unbelievable to know we can take this fear away, yet we don't." TESTIMONY FOR AND AGAINST Physicians, educators and gun safety advocates told lawmakers that the bills to prohibit rapid-fire devices (LD 677), large-capacity ammunition feeding devices (LD 1109) and ghost guns (LD 1126) would reduce gun violence and improve health and safety. "Gun violence is a serious public health crisis," said Paul Cain, immediate past president of the Maine Medical Association, which testified in support of the three bills. "Deaths by firearms, including homicide, suicide and accidents, continue to increase in frequency. As caregivers to our community, we see the importance of preserving existing gun safety laws and advocating for sensible and practical legislation." Supporters of Second Amendment rights, meanwhile, told lawmakers that the proposals infringe on those rights and efforts to limit gun violence would be better focused on increasing access to mental health supports and enforcing existing laws. "The thing these three bills have in common is they create criminals from law-abiding citizens," said Robert Duhaime, a member of the group Gun Owners of Maine who described himself as a passionate gun rights activist. "These bills attack the rights of all gun owners, making criminals out of the left, the right and the middle," he said. BAN ON BUMP STOCKS PROPOSED AGAIN The bill to ban bump stocks and other rapid fire devices, LD 677, is sponsored by Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, and is similar to a bill Carney proposed last year that was passed by lawmakers but vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills. In her veto message, Mills cited the fact that federal regulations banning bump stocks were being challenged at the time in the U.S. Supreme Court — which did eventually strike down a federal ban on the devices — and also voiced concerns about the language of last year's bill being too broad and ambiguous. Carney said Wednesday that the court ruled in June that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had exceeded its statutory authority with the regulations, adding urgency to the need to approve a state-level law. "State enforcement is now the only means to uphold the long-standing public safety policy of regulating or prohibiting automatic weapons and their equivalents that has been federal law for 90 years," she said. She said the bill also includes different language than last year's to address concerns from Mills that it would inadvertently prohibit adjustments made by hunters to improve accuracy rather than change the rate of fire. Asked Wednesday if Mills has a position on the bill, a spokesperson said the governor is monitoring it. The proposal for a prohibition on so-called ghost guns, which don't have serial numbers and are untraceable, was proposed by Rep. Sam Zager, D-Portland. The Maine Gun Safety Coalition called for the proposal last winter after a ghost gun was allegedly used to kill a health care CEO in downtown Manhattan. Wednesday's hearing came the same day as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold Biden administration rules that guns built from at-home kits be treated like other firearms by requiring companies to add serial numbers, run background checks, and verify that buyers are 21 or older. Zager's bill would prohibit undetectable firearms and also require serial numbers on firearms. "I hope this committee will see that this bill would bring parity to firearms, as it honors the rights described in the federal and state constitutions," Zager said. "Homemade and home-finished firearms would have a serialization requirement, just like conventionally manufactured firearms have had for many decades." Maine Gun Safety Coalition Executive Director Nacole Palmer testified in favor of LD 1126, LD 677 and LD 1109 Tuesday and said in a statement after the public hearings that the three bills are "common-sense proposals that will help keep Maine families safe and help law enforcement crack down on illegal guns used by criminals." "Now more than ever, it's critical we do what we can at the state and local level to protect our families and promote gun responsibility," Palmer said. CHANGES TO CONCEALED CARRY Gun rights supporters, meanwhile, turned out in favor of the changes to Maine's concealed carry law, including a fourth bill that would make it easier to legally store firearms in locked vehicles outside workplaces. "We are in support of all four of these pieces of legislation, which seek to standardize the differences between having a concealed weapons permit and constitutional carry," said Laura Whitcomb, president of Gun Owners of Maine. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said in written testimony that it is neither for nor against LD 829, the bill seeking to change the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed weapon in a state park. The bill is sponsored by Sen. David Haggan, R-Hampden. "The proposed amendment ... would not affect the current policy and practice in Maine State Parks and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, which allows firearms, including handguns, as long as they are concealed," the bureau's director wrote. The Maine Chiefs of Police Association is against LD 1049, which eliminates the requirement for gun owners carrying a concealed weapon without a permit to immediately notify officers during interactions with police. Permit holders must complete an approved handgun safety course before applying for a permit, while gun owners who carry without a permit usually do not have the necessary training in gun safety, handling and conflict resolution, said Jason Moen, president of the association and police chief in Auburn, in written testimony. "If a law enforcement officer is unaware that an individual is armed with a firearm and only finds out part way through the interaction, it changes the atmosphere and can lead to an escalated situation," Moen wrote. "By informing law enforcement at the onset of an arrest, detention, or contact, officers can better assess the situation at hand and proceed in a manner that keeps them, the individual, and the public safe." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers weigh bills to exclude nonstick pans, farm equipment from PFAS product ban
Using too high of heat, abrasive cleaners or other materials that cause the coating on a nonstick pan to chip can increase the risk for PFAS exposure, said Anne Sedlack with the Maine Medical Association. The Maine Legislature is taking up two proposals to carve out exceptions for the state's ban on products containing intentionally added forever chemicals. 'Cookware containing specific FDA-approved fluoropolymers should not be subject to an overly broad ban,' said Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin), when introducing LD 827, which would modify the pending ban on cookware containing PFAS. The bill would not eliminate the prohibition set to take effect in January 2026, but amend it to allow for certain cookware containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, that are authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration such as nonstick pans. Though critics pointed out there are plenty of PFAS-free alternatives including cast iron and stainless steel. In addition to Timberlake's bill, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing Monday for LD 987, which would expand an exemption to heavy machinery and other equipment used by the farming, forestry and construction industries. These products will not be subject to the state's ban until 2032 or later. Kerri Farris, who manages the Department of Environmental Protection's Safer Chemicals Program, said the language in both bills is broad and counterproductive to the legislative intent behind the product ban. Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset), who introduced the farm equipment carve-out, said his bill could be amended to take a simpler approach than what's laid out in the current language. Testifying against both proposals, Farris said the department is in the process of developing rules to implement the ban, which will further clarify what products will be included. Multiple lawmakers who testified in opposition to the bills, including Sen. Henry Ingwersen (D-York), who sponsored several bills regulating the toxic chemicals as well as legislation last session that led to certain exemptions, said passing new exclusions would delay rulemaking and thus implementation of the products ban. The environment committee spent two years working on Ingwersen's bill to amend the PFAS products law. The cookware industry didn't ask for an exemption during those discussions and the farm sector showed up on the last day of a well-reported, multi-year discussion, Ingwersen said in his testimony Monday. Many people who spoke against the bills also pointed out that state law already includes a process for industries to seek permission to keep using certain products through what's called a Currently Unavoidable Use exemption. While environmental and public health advocacy groups were disapproving of the bills, organizations from the farming, forestry and cookware industries, as well as the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, testified in support. Representatives from the cookware industry argued the PFAS used in the cookware outlined in LD 827 do not pose the same public health and safety risks that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances do. They also argued that prohibiting this sort of cookware would harm small businesses that currently sell those products. Committee co-chair Sen. Denise Tepler (D-Sagadahoc) said this argument reminded her of the tobacco industry citing worries about hurting businesses who sell products that pose a public health risk. However, the Cookware Sustainability Alliance said its argument differed because the PFAS contained in the specific cookware that would be exempt under LD 827 is different from the variations that can cause serious long-term health complications including cancer. Proponents of the bill also repeatedly pointed out that the FDA has not restricted use of this type of cookware. To this point, Tepler asked a representative from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers if they believe the FDA is always on the cutting edge of understanding the dangers posed to consumers. Though they argued that is the role of the FDA, opponents of the bill pointed out many instances where the federal agency has allowed the use of certain products known to pose health risks, such as red dye 3 which was banned earlier this year. 'We cannot wait for the FDA,' said Rep. Lori Gramlich (D-Old Orchard Beach), who sponsored the original legislation creating the PFAS products ban law. Though the products in question may be considered safe under 'normal use' conditions, many consumers don't use them this way. Using too high of heat, abrasive cleaners or other materials that cause the nonstick coating to chip can increase the risk for PFAS exposure, said Anne Sedlack, in testimony against LD 827 on behalf of the Maine Medical Association. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Support grows for Maine student-athlete at center of transgender debate
Feb. 25—A group of 30 state and national organizations has banded together to condemn last week's social media posts by some elected officials that drew unwanted attention to a transgender student-athlete in Maine. The debate that started online soon became the impetus for a showdown between Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump, after which the Trump administration threatened to withhold education funding and launched a series of investigations. The coalition of organizations said in a joint statement that as the debate inevitably continues, lawmakers should leave children out of it. "Our organizations stand united in declaring that adults should never harass, 'out', or instigate attacks on minors," the organizations wrote Tuesday. "All children deserve our safety and protection, so they can feel safe at home, at school, and in their communities." The list of organizations includes EqualityMaine, the Maine Women's Lobby, the Maine Medical Association, the Maine Council of Churches and many more. Gia Drew, executive director of EqualityMaine, said posts by Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, that included photos of a transgender athlete at Greely High School who competed in a track meet last week were "inexcusable." "Using pictures of kids for your own political gains, I think that goes against what most Mainers think," Drew said. "But it's not just about one person or one athlete. All young people who might be trans or nonbinary or don't fit some mold, I worry about how they are going to navigate their lives." Libby did not respond to an interview request Tuesday but has defended her posts and resisted requests that she take them down. When asked last week if her posts could have effectively targeted the athlete and put them in harm's way, Libby did not answer and instead said the state's policy is putting girls at risk. "It's not fair to Maine female athletes to have to compete against male athletes," she said. "Frankly, it's outrageous and that's the focus here." The Press Herald is not identifying the student-athlete who has become the latest target in a highly charged national debate, but members of the School Administrative District 51 community have been similarly dismayed by the attention. "It's really troubling for people to watch a student be placed in the center of a debate like that," said Tig Filson, chair of the Cumberland Town Council. "And when you have that amplified at a national level, featuring voices far removed from our community, it's really painful for people." Filson described her community, and especially the school community, as tight-knit and said the biggest reaction from townspeople has been compassion for the student and family that has been outed by conservative media. "People want to make sure they know they are supported and feel safe," she said. Filson also spoke about the matter at the Town Council meeting Monday evening. Andrea Berry, who chairs the select board in North Yarmouth, which is part of SAD 51, said adults engaging in this debate online and elsewhere are overlooking the impact on students. "There is so much hate and prejudice that's being bandied around by members of local community, but much more by people at the state and federal government level," Berry said. "I wish people understood that kids are feeling this, and it's really affecting young people's ability to feel safe, feel seen and feel valued." Jeffrey Porter, the district's superintendent, said late Tuesday that he's been buoyed by the support for students in the community. Prior to Monday's return to school, he worked with police to increase their presence on campus. Thankfully, he said, things have been uneventful. "There has also been some inappropriate feedback (mostly from outside the community) that has been disheartening, especially considering they're from grown adults who should know better," Porter said. "Despite the unwanted national attention, we are trying to move on and create as normal of a school week as possible for our students." FOCUS ON STUDENTS MISPLACED Even community members who have spoken out against transgender athletes being allowed to compete say the focus on specific students is regrettable. Nancy Storey, a Cumberland resident and former executive director of the Maine State Golf Association, has posted numerous times on Facebook since last week and also shared a letter she wrote to state officials. She doesn't agree with the state's policy but also doesn't want individual students to be thrust into the debate. Storey said in an interview that she feels strongly that biological males should not compete against girls, but she doesn't blame the school or the Maine Principals' Association for allowing it. Both, she said, are following state law, but Storey thinks that law didn't account for some of the challenges that have arisen. "As to why I feel as strongly as I do, I remember the days when, if girls wanted to compete, they had to play with the boys," she said. "My first rec basketball was with boys because there was no girls team. I was an eighth grade girl playing against sixth grade boys, and they were still stronger than me." This isn't the first time conservative lawmakers in Maine have used an underage athlete to make a political point about transgender rights. Last year, many drew attention to a cross-country runner, although that didn't reach the White House. Copy the Story Link
