Democracy Forum

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We’ll talk about the continuing concentration of executive power in the office of the President of the United States. What has been the historical precedent? How unusual is this moment? What is the unitary executive theory, its origins and implications, and how it’s playing out in the current presidential administration? Guest/s: Graham Dodds, Professor, Political Science, Concordia University, Montreal. Aaron Frey, Attorney General, State of Maine. To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy Forum 11/21/25: Constitutional Crisis: The Expa

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We’ll talk about the two ballot questions that appear on the November 4 state ballot in Maine. How does the citizen initiative process work in Maine. What are the two ballot questions this year? What the new laws would do, if passed? What are the proponents saying; what are the opponents saying? Who’s funding the campaigns? Guest/s: Mark Brewer, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Maine. Amy Fried, Professor Emerita of Political Science, University of Maine. Michael Shepherd, Political editor at the Bangor Daily News. To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We’ll talk about free speech, chilled speech, and self-censorship — historically in the U.S. and currently. We’ve been producing this radio show for over 20 years, and this is the first time that invited guests have been afraid to come on the radio and criticize the federal government. This is not normal. This will be the sixth program in our series on the constitutional crisis. Guest/s: Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director, ACLU Maine. Timothy Zick, Robert & Elizabeth Scott Research Professor and John Marshall Professor of Government and Citizenship, William and Mary Law School. To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She ser

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We’ll talk about the federal administration’s actions on election security, voter access, and confidence in elections. Staff changes at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) and at the Department of Justice (DOJ) may undermine effective election protections. Voter suppression laws and regulations federally and at the state level may restrict participation by eligible voters. Guest/s: Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State. Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Alabama School of Law. To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-presid

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We talk about civil liberties, habeas corpus, due process, and immigrant detentions and deportations. While ordinary life goes on for most of us, some Mainers are living in fear. This is not normal. This will be the fourth program in our series on the constitutional crisis. Guest/s: Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director, ACLU Maine Barbara McQuade, Professor from Practice at Michigan Law, author of the book, Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. Sue Roche, Executive Director, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 200

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: The effects of the federal administration’s policies on health and science research and delivery nationally and here in Maine. Guest/s: Art Blank, Former CEO, MDI Hospital Amy Fried, Professor emerita of political science at the University of Maine Dr. Nirav Shah, former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, and former principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy Forum 5/16/25: Constitutional Crisis: Is Our Government Making Us Sick? firs

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: Many of us are not yet feeling the heat from the dramatic policy changes coming out of the new federal administration – life goes on. But some of us are getting hurt. And some of us are afraid. Because so many of these federal policies are being promulgated by executive order, without Congress and sometimes in defiance of the courts, some observers are concerned that our country is experiencing a constitutional crisis. It is certainly a moment of disruption. How serious is it? Who might be next? How is this moment outside the norm? How worried should we be? Guest/s: Samuel R. Bagenstos, Frank G. Millard Professor of Law at the University of Michigan. Ryan Dennett, Program Director, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Lauren McCauley, Editor, Maine Morning Star. To learn

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: This month we’ll talk about civil resistance and how civil disobedience have succeeded or failed historically, seeking context for our current moment. What worked in the past, and what do we need now: protests, boycotts, tax resistance? What roles do institutions play: colleges and universities, the media, the business community? And what does the moment demand? What strategies and tactics work? Guest/s: Graham Platner, lead organizer for Acadia Action, Hancock County branch of 16 Counties for Courage Alex Newell Taylor, Co-founder, Sweet Fern MDI; Distributed Organizer for National Nurses United; former Deputy Director of Voter Engagement at Second Chances Florida Vanessa Williamson, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About t

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We want to talk about private equity, what is it? Does private equity contribute to wealth and income inequality, erode confidence in shared services and institutions, and undermine faith in capitalism and democracy? Does it always work that way? Has private equity come to Maine? How can Maine protect its people from the worst outcomes? Guest/s: Brendan Ballou, former federal prosecutor and Special Counsel for Private Equity at the U.S. Department of Justice, author of the book, Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America. www.plunderthebook.com/ Hon. Traci Gere, Maine State Representative, (D-Kennebunkport), Housing and Economic Development Committee (Chair). legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/Details/1408 Chris Noble, Policy Director, Private Equity Stakeholder

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: For much of our nation’s history, invoking “states’ rights” has meant opposing the federal government’s efforts to abolish slavery and enforce racial desegregation, and supporting state laws that discriminate against various ethnic, religious, or other minority groups. But there’s more to the history of states’ rights, and there’s a growing movement to invoke states’ rights to defend a progressive agenda in the years ahead from the threat of a hostile federal government. Guest/s: Jessica Bulman-Pozen, Betts Professor of Law and faculty co-director of the Center for Constitutional Governance at Columbia Law School www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/jessica-bulman-pozen Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director ACLU of Maine www.aclumaine.org/en

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: This month, as we do each election year, we will reflect on the recent election: what just happened here, and why? What does it mean for Maine? Guest/s: – Nicholas Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Government, Colby College www.colby.edu/people/people-directory/nicholas-jacobs/ – Anna Kellar, Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Maine www.lwvme.org/lwvme-staff – Abby Kiesa, Deputy Director, CIRCLE circle.tufts.edu/about-circle/our-team – Steve Mistler, Chief Political Correspondent and State House Bureau Chief, Maine Public www.mainepublic.org/people/steve-mistler To learn more about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as Presi

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Amy Browne Discussion held on Saturday, September 28, at the Moore Center in Ellsworth by the League of Women Voters – Downeast. Audio by Linda Washburn Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: Answering questions about the many ways in which Maine has excellent pro-voter election laws that are well administered and free from fraud, etc. Guest/s: 1. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows 2. Joann Bautista, Deputy Secretary of State – Policy Advisor 3. Bangor City Clerk, Lisa Goodwin 4. Moderated by Ann Luther, League of Women Voters Downeast/ To learn more about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy Forum Spe

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We preview the upcoming elections and provide information about the ballot questions, which races will use ranked choice voting, how and when to vote, etc Guest/s: Randy Billings, political reporter for the Portland Press Herald, www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/ Anna Kellar, Executive Director for the League of Women Voters of Maine, www.lwvme.org/lwvme-staff To learn more about this topic: www.lwvme.org/node/3387?a0=node&a1=2457 Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy Forum 10/18/24: Election 2024: What’s on Your Ballot? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We want to talk about propaganda: its manifestations in U.S. history and currently, its hallmarks, its sponsors, its uses and effects. Guest/s: Michael Franz, Professor of Government and Legal Studies at Bowdoin College, and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/mfranz/index.html Jason Stanley, the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy, Yale University, and author of the new book, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. campuspress.yale.edu/jasonstanley/ To learn more about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy For

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Joel Mann The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Ruth Eveland, Michael Fisher, Claire Fox, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O’Brien, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: We talk about the Maine judiciary. 1. How are judges chosen in Maine? 2. Compare Maine’s judicial selection process to the federal system and to other states. 3. What standards of judicial ethics apply? 4. Are judges in Maine subject to undue influence by narrow special or partisan interests? 5. Are judges in Maine facing escalating threats, the way judges are in other states? 6. What insulates Maine? How fragile are our protections? Guest/s: – Leigh Saufley, President and Dean of the University of Maine

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Joel Mann The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Ruth Eveland, Michael Fisher, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: Some of us thought we already had a right to vote. Where are we getting it wrong? How would a Constitutional Amendment help? What are the chances of getting it? Guest/s: – Dmitry Bam, Vice Dean/Provost, Professor of Law at the University of Maine School of Law mainelaw.maine.edu/faculty/profile/dmitry-bam/ – Rich Hasen, Professor of Law and Political Science at UCLA and Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project. law.ucla.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/richard-l-hasen To learn more about this topic: 1. Opinion | How Do You Tea

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Joel Mann The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Claire Fox, Ruth Eveland, Michael Fisher, Claire Fox, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O’Brien, Kathy Stark, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: We’ll talk about the Maine Clean Election Act — public funding for candidate campaigns– as we move through our third decade. How does our program work in Maine? What have been its benefits and disappointments? How do publicly financed elections fit into the practical landscape for campaign finance reform considering the current legal environment? What trends are we seeing in Maine and nationally? Guest/s: – Anna Kellar, Executive Director, Maine Citizens for Clean Ele

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Joel Mann The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Ruth Eveland, Michael Fisher, Claire Fox, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O’Brien, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: We’ll revisit topics from our show in 2021, talking about the historical and contemporary links between labor organizing and expanding political rights like voting. Is union organizing an important, if not essential, tool in building a vibrant democracy – of people having a voice in their self-governance? What led to the demise of unions over the last half century? What have been the political consequences? Are unions making a comeback? Why is that? What new trends are emerging here in Maine? Guest/s: David Madland,

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Michael Fisher, Claire Fox, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O’Brien, Lane Sturtevant, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: We will talk about the history of the Electoral College and how it's working in the 21st century. What reforms are needed, and which are possible? What is the NPV compact, and how would it work? Is it right for Maine? Guest/s: Mike Saxl, former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and Managing Principal of Maine Street Solutions, the leading proponent of the National Popular Vote in Maine www.verrill-law.com/michael-v-saxl/ Kate Shaw, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court pod

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Michael Fisher, Claire Fox, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Rick Lyles, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O’Brien, Lane Sturtevant, Leah Taylor, and Linda Washburn. Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics This month: We’ll talk about the roll-out of semi-open primaries. Maine will be running semi-open primaries for the first time in 2024. We’ll explain to voters what to expect and what important deadlines and new procedures may pertain. And we’ll talk about how semi-open primaries might affect voter behavior and election outcomes. Guest/s: Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State www.maine.gov/sos/about/bio.html Jill Goldthwait, Hancock County journalist and political columnist, former Maine state senator (unenrolled) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Goldthwait La