Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

by Richard Judd Conservation history brings to mind epic battles over national parks, free-flowing rivers, and immense wilderness areas in the West. We should not overlook similar accomplishments in the East, however, where citizens and public officials pioneered the conservation movement well before John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and Theodore Roosevelt coined the term. Maine stands […]

by Anna Kellar What does it mean to be an organization called the League of Women Voters in 2022, when the ideas of community action, feminist politics, and voting are each hotly contested? We are a league because we believe in collective action, in community, and in the power of people coming together to solve […]

by Amanda Rector I remember very clearly the last days I spent in my Augusta office before the COVID-19 pandemic had me working from home. The last in-person meeting I spoke at was awkward as we tried to figure out the social dynamics: do we shake hands? Elbow bump? Wave from a safe distance? I […]

by Gail Dana-Sacco Indigenous languages reflect an understanding of the Universe that recognizes the dynamic energy fundamental to all our relationships. We realize, for instance, that dawn does not happen in an instant, but rather through chqoo-wubg,1 a rhythmic daily process that brings us into light. Chqoo-waban-a-kee-hq, the Indigenous peoples of this area, now known as the state […]

by Linda Cross Godfrey July 13, 1964, might have been any other hot summer Saturday on a farm outside the small town of East Tawas, Michigan. A junior in high school, it was my turn to vacuum the family living room. Turning on the television for distraction, I came upon the opening ceremonies for the […]

by Susan J. Hunter If asked, I think most people would say that they know a leader when they see one. That person with the highest—and sometimes longest—title. The occupant of the corner office. The loudest voice or highest paid. But I’m drawn to a different definition of leadership. In that definition, leadership is derived […]

by Ted Ames As a retired commercial fisherman— in addition to being a researcher and volunteer—I have a particular interest in how the shoreside world perceives fishermen, especially because we are often portrayed as frustrated antagonists of management and oppositional to enviros.” Fishermen’s participation in science, however, has the potential to change that perception. Are […]

by Angus King Let me first begin by discussing why I want to talk about climate change and then I will talk about climate change itself. I have found from working in public policy now for 20-plus years that it’s relatively easy to find solutions and develop policy if you have a widespread understanding of […]

by Susan M. Collins As a senator representing the state with the oldest median age, I am particularly focused on the well-being of America’s seniors. It has been my privilege to serve on the Senate Aging Committee since my first days in the Senate and an honor to have been elected chairman for the 114th Congress. […]