Maine Policy Matters

Maine Policy Matters

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center

Episodes 46
Avg. Duration 44m
Activity Active
Apple Rating 4.5 (2)
Since Mar 2020
Latest Episode Mar 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
40%
Hosting
feed.podbean.com

About This Podcast

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

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Recent Episodes

S9E3 Community and Citizen Science: Mainers Leading the Way

Mar 17, 2026 58m

Today, we’ll be interviewing Linda Silka, Sarah Kirn, and Jane Disney on citizen and community science in Maine.  Dr. Linda Silka is a social and community psychologist by training, with much of her…

S9E2 From Maine and Beyond: Nuclear Weapons Technology, Treaties, and an Uncertain Future

Mar 04, 2026 40m

In this episode, we interview Rebecca Gibbons, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, who discusses why Maine would be a strategically and politically…

S9E1 The Nuclear Frontier: When Maine Was the Frontline of the Cold War

Feb 12, 2026 36m

In this episode, we interview Chris O'Brien on Maine’s strategic role as a nuclear frontier during the Cold War, highlighting how bases like Loring became central to national defense. We examine the…

S8E3 Maine Healthcare: What Reduced Health Insurance Subsidies Could Mean in Maine

Dec 26, 2025 47m

In this episode, we discuss the high-stakes expiration of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs)—a pandemic-era policy that is set to sunset at the end of 2025. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA)…

S8E2 The Future of Whales in Maine: Science, Policy, and People

Sep 23, 2025 40m

In this episode, we explore the critical role whales play in the marine ecosystem and how advances in research technology have transformed our ability to study and protect them. Our guest, Toby…

S8E1 The Evolving Role of Maine’s Libraries: Funding, Freedom, and Community

Sep 04, 2025 1h 6m

In this episode, library leaders from across Maine share how their roles reflect the modern mission of public libraries and why these institutions remain vital to their communities. Listeners will…

S7E3 Food Equity in Education: Where Maine Stands and Where It’s Headed

May 21, 2025 1h 24m

In this episode, we interview Shannon Coffin, Lynne Holland, Lisa Morin, and Amanda Levesque on food insecurity in Maine’s higher and lower education systems. This episode is part 2 of our series on…

S7E2 Feeding Maine: The Fight Against Hunger in Urban and Rural Communities

Mar 27, 2025 54m

In this episode, we interview Heather Paquette, Kelly Sirimoglu, and Justin Strasburger on the prevalence of food insecurity in…

S7E1 Climate Resilience in Maine: Protecting Communities and Infrastructure

Jan 21, 2025 1h 6m

In this episode, we feature a special host, Nicole Leblanc, who is a writer for our podcast. This episode focuses on climate resilience, Maine's efforts toward clean energy and transportation, and…

S6E3 Harm Reduction: Compassionate Solutions to Maine’s Opioid Epidemic

Dec 13, 2024 1h 5m

In this episode, we interview Gordon Smith, Alex Rezk, Dr. Rachel Solotaroff, and Glenn Gordon on the opioid epidemic in…

S6E2 Behind the Ballot: Voting Integrity in Maine with Shenna Bellows

Oct 29, 2024 47m

In this episode, we interview Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on election processes, election security, the importance of local municipal elections, and semi-open primaries. This episode…

S6E1 Maine Broadband Access Part 2: Digital Equity, Attitudes, and Access

Sep 03, 2024 52m

This episode is part 2 of a two-part series on the status of broadband in Maine, with today’s topic focusing on digital equity, attitudes, and access. As we discussed in part one, Maine is uniquely…

S5E8 Maine Broadband Access Part 1: History and Infrastructure

Aug 20, 2024 1h 5m

In this episode, we discuss broadband's history and infrastructure in Maine with Heather Johnson, Nick Battista, Clara McCool, and Andrew Butcher. Heather Johnson is the Commissioner of the Maine…

S5E7 A Conversation on Maine’s Working Waterfront: Responding to Changing Times

Jul 30, 2024 1h 3m

In this episode, Bill Zoellick, Monique Coombs, and Jeremy Garielson join us for a panel discussion on Maine’s working waterfront. The panelists discuss the waterfront’s economic and cultural…

S5E6 The Maine Difference: Championing the Humanities in a Rural State

May 29, 2024 54m

In this episode, Samaa Abdurraqib and Mollie Cashwell join us for a panel discussion on the importance of the humanities in Maine. The panelists discuss community care, technology's impacts on the…

S5E5 Maine Tourism: Trends and Sustainable Hospitality (Part 2)

Mar 26, 2024 1h 16m

This episode features a one-on-one interview with Charlene Virgilio, executive director of Four Directions. Then, you’ll hear a panel discussion with Tracy Michaud, Steve Lyons, and Rauni Kew on…

S5E4 Maine's Tourism Sectors: Our Economy, Traditions, and Sense of Place (Part 1)

Mar 12, 2024 58m

In this episode, we interview David Vail, Caroline Paras, and Stuart Kestenbaum on Maine’s Tourism Sectors. Article on Maine's outdoor recreation economy:…

S5E3 Policy and Environmental Impacts: Maine's Offshore Wind Advantage (Part 2)

Feb 27, 2024 41m

This episode is part 2 of a two-part series on Maine’s offshore wind efforts. In this episode, we’ll be following up on our interview with Dr. Habib Dagher, Executive Director of the University of…

S5E2 Habib Dagher & Leading Energy: Maine's Offshore Wind Advantage (Part 1)

Feb 13, 2024 34m

In this episode, the first of a two-part series, we interview Habib Dagher, the founding Executive Director of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. In two weeks, we’ll…

S5E1 S5E1 From Moose to Mainers, the State of Ticks in Maine

Jan 16, 2024 46m

In this episode, we interview Lee Kantar and Griffin Dill on the impacts of ticks on Maine wildlife and communities. Lee Kantar is a moose biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Maine Policy Matters have?

Maine Policy Matters has published 46 episodes since March 2020, covering topics in Government, News.

Is Maine Policy Matters still active?

Maine Policy Matters is currently active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 44m.

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