As you may have heard, Andrea Lani, a Department of Environmental Protection employee, is now suing the state because she was moved to a lesser departmental position after she spoke out publicly in defense of Maine’s Kid-safe Products law. This important safeguard, which received overwhelming support when it was passed in 2008, went on the chopping block in the last legislative session. At issue is her right to speak on her own time on a legislative issue. Currently, it’s perfectly legal for her to do so as a state employee, without retribution from the LePage administration, which seems determined to gut the law, either through legislation or by cutting the legs out from under its implementation. I applaud Lani for taking this step to defend herself—and all of us—from these continual attacks on laws that make the environment safer for our families.
Here is a news story that provide more in-depth information about this issue:
—Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM CEO
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