Dear Friend,
I'm calling on you today to take immediate action.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has released the proposed language for the Protect Girls Sports ballot question—but instead of presenting a clear, fair, and accurate summary, her wording is misleading and politically charged.

Here is what she devised:

“Do you want to change civil rights and education laws to require public schools to restrict access to bathrooms and sports based on the gender on the child’s original birth certificate and allow students to sue the schools?”

Maine law is clear: the Secretary of State must write ballot questions in a clear, concise, and neutral manner. This proposal does the opposite.

• It falsely claims the measure would change civil rights laws—it does not.
• It introduces the term “gender,” which does not appear in the proposal.
• It incorrectly states that only bathrooms are affected when the law covers all private spaces.
• It adds inflammatory and false language about lawsuits that is not central to the policy itself.

Now compare that to the straightforward, accurate language we've developed that reflects the actual policy:

“Do you want to define sports participation and access to private facilities in schools by biological sex as recorded on a student’s original birth certificate?”

This distinction matters.

Nearly 4-in-5 Mainers support protecting girls’ sports. Misleading ballot language is a deliberate attempt to manipulate and undermine that support before voters even have their say.

We need your help to push back.

We must flood the Secretary of State’s office with public comments demanding fair and unbiased language. If more Mainers speak out against this proposal than in favor, we create real pressure for her to change it—and if she refuses, it strengthens the case for a legal challenge.

Your voice can make the difference.

Click here to stand up to Maine’s Secretary of State and demand that she go back to the drawing board on the Protect Girls Sports referendum language. 

Take action now to ensure Maine voters get a fair, honest question on the ballot this November.
Thank you for standing with us on this important issue.
 

Sincerely,

Heidi Sampson

Executive Director 

Maine Education Initiative 

contact@mainepolicy.org

•    Click to read updated legislation and latest news at LeadMaine.com 

•  Legislative efforts and bills that Maine Right support and oppose. Click here for events and more at MaineRightToLife.org

Please send this out to your Email list. It is now or never on voter integrity and, if done properly, it can pass.

Republicans could pass the SAVE America if they get behind it. Originally Thune wanted a “Cloture vote” guaranteed to fail. He is being pressured by the Election Integrity Network (EIN is collecting petition signatures and delivering them in blocks of 1000), The Tea Party, and other groups to keep it open. If we keep the pressure on the Senate there is a possibility it might pass.

Use the following links to contact your senators and Senator John Thune and tell them to pass the bill. Ask that “The SAVE America Act be kept on the Senate floor until it has enough votes to pass.” Our congress is elected to represent the will of the people, and a majority of all voters want Voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

Senator Collins (she is with us on this but should hear from us). (207) 622-8414 Email Senator Collins | U.S. Senator Susan Collins

Senator King (207) 622-8292 and https://www.king.senate.gov/contact

Senator John Thune, Majority Leader of the Senate. (202) 224-3121 and https://www.thune.senate.gov

If you want to sign a petition (they are being delivered in blocks of 1000) to be delivered to the Senate open and sign.

Election Integrity Network

For years, Americans have waited for an honest reckoning with the COVID-19 response—one grounded in reality rather than excuses or institutional gaslighting. Instead, the nation endured the most sweeping suspension of civil liberties in modern history, driven by emergency powers that often lacked evidence, silenced dissent, and inflicted lasting harm, especially on children, small businesses, the elderly, and the working class.

This proposed Senate resolution is a first step toward clarity.  

Click here to read more and to sign and share the Resolution. 

Contact: Heidi Sampson
Executive Director, Maine Education Initiative
Email: Heidi@FixMaineSchools.com
Cell: 207.590.1909

Maine Education Initiative and Maine Girl Dads Urge MPA to
Amend Gender Identity Policy for Female Athletes’ Safety and Fairness  

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Education Initiative, a project of Maine Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Maine Girl Dads coalition, has released a formal letter urging the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) to amend its Gender Identity Participation Policy to ensure fairness and safety in girls’ sports. The letter, authored by Heidi H. Sampson, Director of the Maine Education Initiative, and Samuel J. Whiting, Esq., calls for immediate policy changes to protect female athletes and align with Title IX requirements.

The letter highlights legal concerns surrounding the MPA’s current policy, which allows male students identifying as female to compete in girls’ sports without a vetting process. It argues that this practice compromises competitive fairness and raises safety risks for female athletes. Additionally, the letter asserts that recent federal actions, including President Trump’s Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” reinforce Title IX protections for female athletes and require compliance from state and local education entities.

“The MPA’s policy, as it stands, is not only unfair but also places female athletes at risk,” said Heidi Sampson. “Title IX was designed to ensure equal athletic opportunities for women, and by allowing male athletes to compete in girls' sports, the MPA is violating the very principles that protect female athletes.”

The Maine Education Initiative argues that compliance with federal law is necessary to protect female athletes' rights and prevent potential liabilities for schools.

“We urge the MPA to act swiftly to amend its policy,” said Samuel J. Whiting, Esq. “Failure to do so not only contradicts legal precedent, but also risks serious consequences for Maine’s schools and student-athletes.”  

The call for change is also strongly supported by Maine Girl Dads, a coalition of fathers advocating for their daughters’ rights in sports. Josh Tabor, a leader of the coalition, stressed the importance of protecting opportunities for young female athletes:

“Our daughters train hard, compete fairly, and deserve a level playing field. The MPA’s policy is stripping them of their right to fair competition and putting their safety at risk. Over 8,500 fathers in Maine have signed our petition to say enough is enough. We will not stand by while our girls are pushed aside. It’s time for the MPA to step up and protect female athletes,” Tabor said.
 

The petition can be found at www.MaineGirlDads.com. 

The Maine Education Initiative and Maine Girl Dads warn that failure to amend the policy could result in legal consequences for both the MPA and its member schools, as the U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into Title IX violations within Maine’s education system. 

The Maine Education Initiative calls on the MPA to reconsider its stance and align its policies with federal Title IX regulations to uphold fairness and safety in girls’ sports.  

The Maine Education Initiative is a project of Maine Policy Institute. The Maine Education Initiative’s mission is to empower parental involvement in K-12 education and encourage Maine school boards to adopt model policies that increase transparency, fiscal responsibility, and accountability in Maine public schools. 

The full letter to the Maine Principals' Association can be read here

The Maine Education Initiative, a project of Maine Policy Institute, works to empower parental involvement in K-12 education and encourage Maine school boards to adopt model policies that increase transparency, fiscal responsibility, and accountability in Maine public schools.