[Local-Maine-Schools] Skip Greenlaw: Repeal effort via another route (URGENT)

[Dick Atlee]

 From Skip Greenlaw (skipg at hypernet.com):

Good evening everyone,

Finally, (what we have all been waiting for!!!!!) there may be an
opportunity to have the legislature vote on repeal of the school
consolidation law, thanks to the persistent efforts of Rep. Peter
Edgecomb of Caribou who is a member of the legislative education
committee.  Peter has been waiting the entire session for this
opportunity, which now appears on the horizon.

Rep. Edgecomb will sign a minority report to a relatively innocuous
education bill.  The minority report repeals the school consolidation 
law.  There will be no public hearing.  There has been no LD number 
assigned as of this morning.  Rep. Edgecomb has no idea when the bill 
will be printed or come to the floor of either house for debate.

The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on April 16 which is four weeks
from Wednesday.  As is always the case, there will be a lot of
legislation moving very quickly through the process towards the end of
the session.

WE MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY.

I am writing to urge everyone to travel to Augusta next Wednesday
morning, March 26, to talk with your legislators, other legislators you
will meet, and ask them to vote to repeal the law.  If the business
community can make a showing as they did last June to kill tax reform
and if social services interests can flood the appropriations hearing
room to oppose social service reductions, why can't we appear on the
third floor of the State House on behalf of our children to fight for
repeal of the worst public policy the legislature has ever enacted?  If
each addressee convinced one other person to travel to Augusta, we would
have over 400 people "storm" the State House.  Judy Sproule suggests
that some teachers may want to bring their students to Augusta that day
for a field trip "to see their legislature in action" and tell their
legislators what a terrible mistake school consolidation is.

Please forward this e-mail to all who have collected signatures, but are
not on this e-mail list, to all regional planning committee members,
school board members, parents, and any other interested citizens to ask
if they will travel to Augusta to support repeal.

With the holiday weekend approaching, time is very important.  Please
respond by e-mail no later than tomorrow evening, Wednesday March 19 
with your response about attending, how many people will accompany you, 
and any suggestions.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Skip
skipg at hypernet.com