MUUSAN Highlights FY July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023

• Supported or opposed at least 48 bills* in the first session of the 131st Legislature;
• Testified on 28 of those bills,* (an increase of almost 60% over the last legislative session) continuing to build MUUSAN’s visibility and voice at the statehouse;
  
• Over 18 congregations engaged in our 2022 UUtheVoteME Get Out the Vote election initiatives. Congregational Voting Liaisons met weekly from June-November to share, leverage, and prioritize actions in collaboration with our key local, state, and national partners;
  

• Following the expressed preference of our members, divided our bimonthly Network Meetings between zoom and in-person formats. Four Network Meetings were held with an average attendance of more than 50. Guest speakers* included: 
  
  • Destie Hohman Sprague, Exec. Dir. of the Maine Women’s Lobby
    
  • JaZahn Hicks, UU the Vote National
    
  • All 6 of Maine’s UU Legislators! 
    
  • Representative Aaron Dana of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township
    
  • ​Representatives from Maine Equal Justice, League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine Climate Action NOW!, Maine People’s Alliance, Preble Street, and Midcoast New Mainers Association
• Joyfully celebrated MUUSAN’s 10th Anniversary at our first in-person meeting in almost three years, welcoming nearly 70 old and new UU friends, 3 of our UU Maine legislators, and allies from other nonprofits with whom we have collaborated over the years. All 4 of MUUSAN’s founders were present and shared moving stories of MUUSAN’s beginnings that brought into sharp focus the legacy we carry forward; 
  
• Gathered at least 5 (it was hard to tell, it was raining so hard!) of our UU congregations to march in a downpour behind the MUUSAN banner in the June Portland PRIDE parade (with other congregations marching in their local parades);
  
• Provided information sessions with at least 13 UU congregations on the Pine Tree Power Ballot Initiative to create a nonprofit customer-owned utility for Maine (and watched with pride as attendees, inspired by these presentations, organized similar events at retirement communities, libraries, and other locations around the State!);
  
• Published over 30 Action Alerts* that were distributed to nearly 650 individuals on MUUSAN’s email list, reminding us of opportunities to put our UU principles into action; 
  
• Added 2 more key community partners and coalitions whose expertise and resources  help shape much of our advocacy work: Mainers for Modern Elections and the Maine Women’s Lobby. Other partner coalitions include the Maine Council of Churches, the Environmental Priorities Coalition, the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, the Wabanaki Alliance, and Vision for an Equitable Maine.
  

• Celebrated an increase to 88 individual donors supporting MUUSAN financially. Supporters making recurring monthly donations increased from 22 to 29, allowing us to better predict cash flow to cover fixed expenses;
  
• Received donations from 12 of Maine’s 26 UU congregations.
  

And wait—there’s more!

• MUUSAN maintained its focus on tribal sovereignty as an organization-wide priority, publishing a resolution of support on that issue and encouraging UU congregations to do the same, attending ceremonies and lobby days at the State House, providing faith-based testimony on multiple bills to promote justice for the Wabanaki residents of Maine, and continuing to serve on the Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition as a staunch ally;
  
• MUUSAN continued to work on empowering more of Maine UUs to participate in the legislative process by making that process as accessible and transparent as possible by:
  
  • assembling and adding to MUUSAN’s website a single comprehensive resource we call Tips & Tools for Legislative Advocacy that includes information about the legislative process, how-to videos on subjects such as tracking a bill or finding and effectively communicating with your legislator, templates for letters or emails to legislators, suggestions on how to draft and present testimony as a person of faith, how to find things on the Legislature’s website, and even where to  park your car at the State House in Augusta! We encourage you to explore this resource and see all the ways you too can be an advocate for justice in Maine;
    
  • expanding the information posted on the website about pending bills, identifying not just those selected as Priority Bills by MUUSAN but also bills we think might be of interest to congregations who wish to advocate as a congregation on particular issues (identified on the website as Watchlist Bills). These include live bill links and descriptions, many with talking points or letter templates to make getting started easy.

Click HERE for a printable version of these highlights!