I write to thank Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross for her bill “An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process,” which passed and was signed into law by Gov. Mills.

Why is a bill like this so important in Maine? Maine and its government are not immune to racism, as shown by the recent controversy surrounding the 2019 Maine Trooper of the Year, who received the award despite a documented history of racial profiling. As the whitest state in the nation, white privilege can be almost invisible here, and this bill will help us to see it in ourselves and our institutions.

With the enactment of a slew of new voting restrictions in Georgia, and other states considering similar measures, the role that state legislatures play in either combating or upholding racism has become more apparent. As Rep. Talbot Ross pointed out, this law is the first of its kind in the nation, and I hope it will be a consequential step toward combating racial injustice in our state.

Wheeler Lowell

Buckfield