By Steven Haycock, Legislative Director
(207) 329-6835
Friends, as I write this column, the embarrassment of the 42-day Federal government shutdown should be ending. It’s sad to think that we have gotten to this point in our politics. Portions of both political parties are holding “We the People” hostage for over 40 days and using people in need of food assistance as pawns, just to appease extreme members of both parties. Our Founding Fathers would be ashamed, and “We the People” should be upset. On the bright side, for the people of Maine, ¾ of our Congressional Delegation seems to have been working hard to find common ground and work towards a solution.
In these times of strong political support, opposition & opinions, I would like to stress and remind our members that the Grange is strictly non-partisan. While differing opinions on public policy should be encouraged at our Grange meetings, it is more important to speak in terms of policy rather than politics. Granges do not endorse political candidates or parties, but we do endorse and support various policies and positions. More than anything else, remember to keep it civil. Keep an open mind when encountering people’s views who differ from your own, also remember that compromise is not a “four-letter word.”
At State Grange in October, delegates were tasked with considering nine resolutions, two of which were referred to the Legislative committee, with one being referred to both the Legislative and Agricultural Committees:
- Resolution #2 – “Resolution to Protect Maine Farmland from Purchase by Foreign Nationals or Governments” – Adopted
- Resolution #6 – “Social Security Retirement Age” – Rejected
- Resolution #9 – “Food Banks Need of State/Federal Money” – Adopted.
In the coming months, I will try to communicate our support for the adopted resolutions to the legislature. Both are timely issues that require attention at the state and federal levels.
Until next time, start working on resolutions for the 2026 State Grange Session, keeping in mind the deadline is August 15, 2026. If you need assistance getting your idea into proper resolution form, I would be happy to help.