Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Don't forget to join the march this afternoon from Prebble Street to City Hall, beginning at 2:00 p.m. The march and
rally are hosted by the NAACP.

March Against Anti-Immigrant LePage Executive Order!

This Monday, Jan. 17, 1pm in Portland!
Last week, Maine became less welcoming to immigrants and refugees when Governor Lepage signed an Executive Order allowing state officials to inquire about immigration status of those who approach their agencies. Our nation and state have always been beacons of liberty and freedom. Nobody should freeze to death, starve to death or die of a treatable disease because they are afraid to approach state officials.

Let’s model a Welcoming Maine!

What: Community Conversation at 1pm followed by a March at 2pm
Where: Preble Street Resource Center, March to City Hall
Who: At City Hall at 2:15pm, come hear community leaders speak about Lepage's first action as Governor, and find out ways to take action.

Maine should be a welcoming place so our economy and communities can thrive. Join us Monday at 1pm at Preble Street for a community conversation. In the tradition of community action on Martin Luther King Day, the community conversation will be followed by a march. Join us at 2pm to march from Preble Street to City Hall. We will stand in solidarity and model a welcoming Maine.

Hope to see you there!!!

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PGIC Featured in Portland Phoenix

From the Portland Phoenix:

2011 predictions: Winds of chance

By DEIRDRE FULTON | December 29, 2010

Maine Greens
For years, local and state Green Partiers have worked to raise awareness and support around two issues: bringing an elected mayor to Portland, and ranked-choice voting, the electoral system where voters indicate their candidates in order of preference. In 2011, as both those concepts become reality in Portland, Greens will take the next logical steps.

"The party will be gearing up for a Green mayor run in 2011," says Anna Trevorrow, chair of the Portland Green Independent Committee and steering committee member of the state party, for which she also serves as spokesperson. She doesn't say who, yet, but voters can expect to see a Green Party representative running this fall. "To give names at this point would be a bit premature. No one has officially declared. We can say that with the experience our members have gained over the years in elected office, we have some strong prospects from among our ranks," Trevorrow says.

The party also plans to leverage the state's first experience with ranked-choice voting (which will be used in the elected mayor campaign) to "liven the RCV buzz" around Maine, Trevorrow says in an e-mail to the Phoenix. The MGIP "is working on expanding local committee infrastructure throughout the state, focusing on key municipalities and regions," she adds, both in "key urban areas, which are prime to develop (or in some cases re-develop) strong local committees, and [in] rural areas where our membership base has been under-developed."

Read the full article

Portland Green Independent Committee Elects Officers, Sets Sights on 2011 Mayor Race

Portland: The Portland Green Independent Committee held its annual meeting on Saturday, December 18^th. At the annual meeting the PGIC elected new officers and outlined party goals for the upcoming year. Newly elected officers include Anna Trevorrow, Chair; Anthony Zeli, Secretary; and Seth Berner, Treasurer.

Trevorrow has served as Chair of the Maine Green Independent Party State Steering Committee, and as an elected member of the Portland Charter Commission. Most recently, Trevorrow ran for State Representative in Portland’s 120th District. Zeli currently serves as Treasurer of the Maine Green Independent Party, and ran for Portland's District 2 School Committee seat in 2009. Berner is a longtime peace & justice activist who owns his own law practice. He recently ran for State Representative in Portland’s 115th District.

“This is an important year for the PGIC,” said Trevorrow, “The PGIC is well-known for its work to establish an elected mayoral position in Portland. That work has culminated, this year, in a mayor position to be popularly elected by a system of ranked choice voting next November. We plan to run a vigorous Green Mayor campaign, and to do public education surrounding the ranked choice system. Inspired by the near-victory on municipal Question 4 this November, we also plan to continue work on the issue of legal resident voting rights.”

Green Independent City Councilors David Marshall and Kevin Donoghue advocated for an elected mayor proposal during their first terms in office, and Marshall later became a proponent of forming the 2009 Portland Charter Commission to examine the issue. Green Independent elected Charter Commissioners Trevorrow and Ben Chipman were instrumental in shaping the elected mayor proposal put forth by the Charter Commission. The proposal passed at the polls this November.