Maine Policy Review, Volume 31, Numbers 1-2, Available

Maine Policy Review, Vol. 31, Nos. 1-2, is now available on MPR’s Digital Commons site. Print copies will be mailed to subscribers in late February. A brief look at the content of this issue is available on MPR’s website.

Vol. 31, Nos. 1-2, starts off with the Margaret Chase Smith essay by Anna Kellar, which explores the ways in which the League of Women Voters in Maine lives up to its mission of making democracy work. There are articles on important social issues including lost productivity from drug-related morbidity and mortality in Maine between 2015 and 2020, the childcare crunch many Maine parents are facing,  and an examination of the experiences of small grocers during the pandemic.

Additionally, three articles explore natural resources-related policy issues. Two articles focus on the emerging issue of PFAS contamination in Maine: one on estimated greenhouse gas emissions from drinking water treatment and one looking at citizens’ citizens’ knowledge of PFAS contamination and their preferences for managing the issue. An article examining potential in Maine for offshore wind development using Rhode Island as a model is also available as part of the Maine Policy Matter’s podcast.

The volume also includes the top three essays from the Margaret Chase Smith Library’s 2022 High School Essay Contest, which asked students to consider the proper role of government in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.