Beacon Podcast

Ben and Esther discuss the status of bills on housing, paid family leave, Maine’s child tax credit and more. They also discuss  what’s in the debt ceiling deal that federal lawmakers struck this week. MPA events calendar Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182 or by writing to…

The post Podcast: Session crunch time first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Nora and Esther discuss some of the stories people told at the Maine Legislature’s Labor and Housing Committee hearing Thursday on LD 1964 and share some clips with listeners. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182 or by writing to [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast using any podcasting app…

The post Podcast: Scenes from Thursday’s Paid Family and Medical Leave hearing first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Ben’s back, and the gang discusses some exciting housing bills working their way through the legislature and the absolutely wack-a-doodle number of disconnection notices that have been going out to Mainers from Central Maine Power and Versant; and we’ll hear from some MPA staff about canvassing, why it matters, and why you should do it.…

The post Podcast: CMP and Versant’s furious flurry of disconnection notices first appeared on Maine Beacon.

As Gov. Janet Mills looks to “modernize” the Pine Tree Empowerment Zone corporate tax credit program, Esther and Ben are joined by Maura Pillsbury of the Maine Center for Economic Policy to talk about their new report, “Are Tax Giveaways Worth the Money?” which, using state data, finds that the money governments give to corporations…

The post Podcast: Are corporate tax breaks worth it? Probably not. first appeared on Maine Beacon.

With Ben on the road again, Cate and Esther break down some of this week’s big events in Augusta — the marathon abortion rights bill hearing on Monday, the Child Tax Credit bill hearing on Thursday, and the wonderful discussion around Maine’s likely adoption of a “housing first” model to help deal with the state’s…

The post Podcast: Abortion rights, housing first, and the Child Tax Credit in Augusta first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Esther talks with two of the leaders of the recent University of Maine graduate student union effort, and the gang talks about the debt ceiling debate in DC, what the discussion around it is, and what it should be. Subscribe to U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s Substack Normal Gossip podcast Terrestrials podcast Ask a question or…

The post Podcast: Grad student union drive brings solidarity and community first appeared on Maine Beacon.

We’ll hear an conversation between Charlotte Warren and Zoe Brokos of the community radio program Justice Radio, and Dr. Winifred Tate, Colby College professor of anthropology and director of the Maine Drug Policy Lab, about the recent report, “A better path for Maine: The case for decriminalizing drugs,” and Cate and Esther talk about positive…

The post Podcast: Criminalizing drugs is ‘expensive, it’s harmful, and it doesn’t work’ first appeared on Maine Beacon.

As Ben travels the country in his quest for social justice, Cate and Esther are joined by MPA organizing director Genevieve Lysen, to talk about bills on drug policy, housing and taxation wending their way through the legislature. Read all about it: Maine’s recovery community hopes to save lives by establishing harm reduction health centers…

The post Podcast: Taxes, housing and drug policy in the legislature first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Ben talks with Dr. Marcelle Medford and Dr. Meadow Dibble about their work with the Place Justice Project. Place Justice Project events series Stand Against Racism at YMCA Central Maine Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast using any podcasting app or subscribe on Apple…

The post Podcast: Maine’s racist place names tell a different story about the ‘whitest state’ first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Esther, Cate and Ben talk about some wins and losses for Maine workers who want to unionize; discuss bills to protect renters in the legislature this week (help out here!); and clear up some confusion around the budget process. UMaine grad students join growing union movement Delayed union drive at Bates College fails to get…

The post Podcast: Good news, bad news, and more good news for Maine unions first appeared on Maine Beacon.