
Governor Janet T. Mills (D) Addressed a Crowd of About 1,000 at Portland’s City Hall This Afternoon.
Governor Janet T. Mills, (D) the first woman governor of Maine, told a crowd of more than 1,000 protesting the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade, that abortion rights are on the ballot in November.
The Governor grew up in rural Maine in a different era – when reproductive rights were not discussed. The nation has come a long way – that is until today. She said that today’s decision is an assault on women’s rights to abortion that only makes it less safe than it has been for the last almost fifty years. So many women have grown up knowing that abortion rights were part of their health care. For too many, that federal protection has ended.
But the Governor assured the crowd that: “This is just the beginning. Not the end.” The Governor who has been a pro-choice advocate all her adult life, said: “Our rights, laws and statutes are only as good as the pro-choice officials elected to office. We can’t take anything for granted. Tomorrow we work together,”. Her message came at Portland’s city hall Ganley Plaza late this afternoon.
The Governor is up for reelection on November 8, 2022. Former Governor Paul LePage, an ally of Donald Trump and an anti-abortion candidate is her opponent.
Speaker of the Maine House Ryan Fecteau, (D), who is openly gay, said he felt a pit in his stomach at the harm this decision will cause in this country. “The extremist in the Supreme Court have decided to take us back to another era.” But he reminded the crowd that overflowed onto Congress Street that “abortion is legal in Maine. Government should not interfere with our health care choices.” He informed the crowd that Chief Justice Clarence Thomas had said that the issues of same sex marriage and access to contraception should be revisited by the Supreme Court.
The president of Planned Parenthood Portland said that every election matters. She urged protestors to knock on voters’ doors and get out the pro-choice voters for the November 8th election. “Shame on every US Senator who voted for this Supreme Court, including Senator Susan Collins (R) who voted in support of Justice Kavanaugh. This criticism of Maine’s Senator brought a pro-longed chorus of boos from the crowd gathered in front of her.
The crowd began gathering at Lincoln Park around 5:00 pm in preparation for the short march to city hall at 5:30 pm. Dick Farnsworth, former State Representtive from Portland said that: “The supremacy of the Supreme Court is now in question. It made two bad decisions in one week – it stinks. The abortion decision and the New York State gun law.” Kaitlyn Gardner, who drove from Alna for the rally said: “I wanted to grieve with a large group of people. I’m scared for our country. Republicans are manufacturing suffering. I’m so scared of Paul LePage getting reelected Governor.”
The Portland event was one of 500 around the nation protesting the decision of the Supreme Court that was announced this morning.