Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

In this episode, we interview Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on election processes, election security, the importance of local municipal elections, and semi-open primaries. This episode explores the extensive systems Maine employs to protect the democratic process. Secretary Bellows provides an in-depth look at how the state ensures every vote is counted accurately, discussing […]

This episode is part 2 of a two-part series on the status of broadband in Maine, with today’s topic focusing on digital equity, attitudes, and access. As we discussed in part one, Maine is uniquely situated for addressing the challenge of getting broadband access to every person, from urban to rural towns, both having their […]

In this episode, we discuss broadband’s history and infrastructure in Maine with Heather Johnson, Nick Battista, Clara McCool, and Andrew Butcher. Heather Johnson is the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, which works with statewide and local partners, private industry, and small businesses to enhance and sustain economic prosperity in Maine. […]

On this episode, Bill Zoellick, Monique Coombs, and Jeremy Garielson join us for a panel discussion on Maine’s working waterfront. The panelists discuss the waterfront’s economic and cultural significance, on-foot access, preservation, community involvement, and much more. Resources Scuttlebutt Transcript [00:00:00] Monique Coombs: And our towns just haven’t been able to keep pace and so […]

On this episode, Samaa Abdurraqib and Mollie Cashwell join us for a panel discussion on the importance of the humanities in Maine. The panelists discuss community care, technology’s impacts on the humanities, and much more. [00:00:00] Mollie Cashwell: And I think in Maine, any kind of policy or any kind of economic plan that involves […]

This episode features a one-on-one interview with Charlene Virgilio, executive director of Four Directions. Then, you’ll hear a panel discussion with Tracy Michaud, Steve Lyons, and Rauni Kew on Maine’s tourism trends and hospitality. Tracy Michaud’s coauthored Maine Policy Review article: “The Role of Aquatourism in Sustaining Maine’s Working Waterfronts”  Steve Lyons’s Maine Policy Review article: “Coastal […]

On this episode, we interview David Vail, Caroline Paras, and Stuart Kestenbaum on Maine’s Tourism Sectors. Resources Portland Press Herald article on Maine’s outdoor recreation economy. Caroline Paras’s coauthored Maine Policy Review article: “The Role of Aquatourism in Sustaining Maine’s Working Waterfronts.” Transcript [00:00:00] Stuart Kestenbaum: You know, the goal wasn’t to bring tourists to […]

This episode is part 2 of a two-part series on Maine’s offshore wind efforts. In this episode, we’ll be following up on our interview with Dr. Habib Dagher, Executive Director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, by interviewing Celina Cunningham, Nicholas Lund, and Jack Shapiro on the environmental and policy implications […]

On this episode, we interview Habib Dagher, the founding Executive Director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. In two weeks, we’ll be featuring a discussion with Celina Cunningham, Nicholas Lund, and Jack Shapiro on the environmental and policy implications of Maine’s offshore wind efforts. Dr. Habib Dagher is the founding Executive […]

In this episode, we interview Lee Kantar and Griffin Dill on the impacts of ticks on Maine wildlife and communities. Lee Kantar is a moose biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He was awarded the Distinguished Moose Biologist Award by his peers at the 53rd North American Moose Conference. Griffin Dill […]