Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

10/12/2026

Honoring the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and enduring resilience of Indigenous peoples today and every day. We recognize the profound contributions Native communities have made to our world, while committing to learning, listening, and supporting Indigenous sovereignty. 🌿✨
Check out a past Maine Policy Review article about indigenous voices and the state's bicentennial. https://ow.ly/M6pP50ZtrFq

Indigenous Voices Charting a Course Beyond the Bicentennial: Eba gwedji jik-sow-dul-din-e wedji gizi nan-ul-dool-tehigw (Let’s try to listen to each other so that we can get to know each other) Authors Gail Dana-Sacco Author DOI: https://doi.org/10.53558/FRZU4054 Keywords: Passamaquoddy, Wabanaki,...

10/06/2026

An article published in the Maine Policy Review by Taylor Z. Lange and Nefeli M. Bompoti was recently cited by the Bangor Daily News in their story about former contaminated manufacturing sites in Maine.
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/09/28/mainefocus/mainefocus-environment/cleaning-contaminated-former-industrial-site-hartland-joam40zk0w/

What does it take to bring an abandoned factory to life? In Hartland, it starts by cleaning up asbestos, PCBs and buried hides nobody can say who owns.

10/01/2026

As Maine’s population ages, rural communities are stepping up to show what real resilience looks like! 🌲👵👴

A recent study in Maine Policy Review highlights how local relationships are solving big challenges. Rural seniors face rising healthcare, housing, and transportation barriers, but local solutions are making a measurable difference:

✨ The Maine Community Connectors Program (featuring pilot communities like the Blue Hill Peninsula) relies on trained local volunteers to install fall-prevention gear, connect seniors to critical services, and fight social isolation.

In just 9 months, the pilot program has:
• Engaged 9,000+ people across 12 pilot communities 🤝
• Saved older Mainers $430,000+ in care & benefit costs 💰
• Mobilized 315 new volunteers & partnered with 400+ local organizations 📚🏥
• Started 83 new community projects 🛠️

When state and federal resources fall short, local, people-centered networks prove that strong communities are the best safety net.

https://ow.ly/pQtn50ZQatt

09/30/2026

🎉🌍 Happy International Podcast Day! 🎙️✨ Today, we celebrate the magic of storytelling and the incredible voices that connect us all. 🌟 Whether you love true crime, comedy, or inspiring interviews, there is something for everyone!

See what stories we have to offer on our Maine Policy Matters Spotify page!
https://ow.ly/52a650Ztrhz

Podcast · Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center · The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center is a nonpartisan, independent research and public service unit of the University of Maine (UMaine).

09/29/2026

The Margaret Chase Smith Library proudly sponsors an annual essay contest for high school seniors This year the MCSL challenged students to address what governmental service or program is essential and needs to be protected? Oran Saar of John Bapst Memorial High School, was awarded first place. His essay on protecting National Parks and federal land has been published by the Maine Policy Review in partnership with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.

https://ow.ly/uIcc50ZNYXP

09/28/2026

🚚 Record Diesel Prices Squeeze Maine Truckers and Consumers

MCSPC Executive Director Jonathan Rubin was recently interviewed by Newscenter Maine about the rising cost of diesel fuel. Prices in Maine have reached an all-time high of nearly $6.52 per gallon—a massive 68% jump compared to the same time last year.

Because fuel is second only to labor as the largest cost for trucking companies, local independent drivers and small fleets across the state are feeling the heat. Single fill-ups are now running $800 to $900.

According to Rubin, virtually all goods—from groceries to building supplies—are delivered by truck. These elevated transportation fuel costs will inevitably trickle down to consumers at retail checkout counters.

“Fuel is the lifeblood of our industry" | Maine truckers are reeling from record-high fuel prices, and say consumers also feel the effects.

09/24/2026

The Policy Center's Rebecca Bian has been on an incredible roll with a massive lineup of achievements! 🌟

Here is a look at what she’s been up to:

🏆 University-Level Recognition

-Accepted into the prestigious AY2027-2028 EMPOWER Cohort.

📊 Presenting at the American Society of Civil Engineers and International Conference on Transportation and Development in Detroit, MI.

Presentations include the following:
-Presented research on "Nonmotorized Traffic Monitoring: Where Can Human Mobility Data from Multiple Sources Take Us?" alongside S. Dhakal and T. Tolford.
-Co-Authored "Expanding Feasibility and Opportunity Measures with Emerging Datasets for Statewide Road Diet Screening in Louisiana"with N. Amir Modabber and T. Tolford.

📚New Publication

-Co-authored "Human Mobility Data Based Weekly Adjustment Factor Calculation for Non-motorized Traffic Monitoring", now published (Link Below) in the "Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems" (Vol. 152, No. 8).

👏Industry Honors

-Named a 2025 Outstanding Reviewer for the ASCE Journal of Urban Planning and Development.

Congrats on Rebecca’s outstanding contributions to transportation research and urban development!

https://ow.ly/OXnS50ZM0jG

09/22/2026

The Maine Policy Review has published an article by Edward E. Nachamie, Rachel E. Schattman, and Lindsey E. Pollard entitled "A Policy Analysis of PFAS Regulation in Maine and the US Federal Government." This article analyzes the fragmented federal response to PFAS contamination and examines interventions implemented by the state of Maine to address public health concerns and environmental contamination.
https://ow.ly/IXp750ZNZ8R

09/17/2026

MCSPC Director and economist Jonathan Rubin shared his expert insights with News Center Maine on the rising cost of heating oil in New England.

"They went up 10 cents on me right then and there" | Heating oil companies and consumers are preparing for a more expensive winter as prices continue to rise.

09/15/2026

Members of our Rural Drug and Alcohol Research Program made significant contributions at Governor Mills' 8th Opioid Summit in Bangor this past July. As we recognize each team member's impact on the summit, we would like to specifically acknowledge Research Associate Alexander Rezk. Rezk staffed the Maine Naloxone Distribution Initiative table, providing conference attendees with information about the program, discussing the influence of naloxone availability on overdose response, and distributing naloxone kits.