What is the bill

This bill creates the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations in Maine which would be tasked with understanding where and how the state’s existing economic policies exclude or reinforce the economic disparities seen in communities of color, including Indigenous and new immigrant populations and make recommendations on policy to address these disparities.

Why it matters

Maine has one of the highest rates of poverty among people of color in the nation. This is not by accident and the sooner that we identify the persistent structural barriers that keep people of color in poverty, the sooner we can begin to break down these barriers and build an economy that works for everyone.

What happened

The bill passed both chambers and was signed into law by the Governor.