As a reminder, Susan Collins will still be able to act powerless and express her shock and concern at what her Republican colleagues do as a private citizen. If they elect Jackson, Mainers can keep getting these sad sound bites *and* have a fully functional representative in the Senate again
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 4d agoQ: The shock gloves that ICE is reportedly rolling out using the deescalation funding. Is that the sort of use you envisioned when you passed that bill? SUSAN COLLINS: It's not
![Yes. At least 50 law enforcement officers nationwide have faced accusations, charges, or arrests for misusing automated license plate reader networks like Flock Safety to stalk or spy on women, whereas national advocacy and tracking groups have identified only a handful (fewer than a dozen) openly transgender youth athletes competing in K-12 school sports across various contested state regions. [ThePinkNews; CyberNews]
Police Misuse of Surveillance Technology
• The Scope: Investigations have revealed over 50 documented instances of police officers exploiting taxpayer-funded license-plate scanning technology to track romantic partners, exes, and women in their personal lives. [Washington Post]
• The Actions: Rogue officers have run hundreds of unauthorized location queries on duty to monitor individuals without judicial warrants or legitimate criminal investigative purposes. [Novara Media]
Transgender Youth Athletes in Sports
• The Data: Despite widespread legislative focus and numerous state-level bans introduced across the United States, civil rights organizations and journalists investigating the enforcement of these laws have found that the actual number of K-12 transgender student-athletes competing in categories matching their gender identity is extremely small—often documented in single digits nationally in terms of active, targeted litigation cases. [ThePinkNews]
• Participation Rates: Comprehensive surveys by groups like the Human Rights Campaign show that LGBTQ+ youth generally, and transgender youth specifically, participate in organized school sports at significantly lower rates than their cisgender peers. [TransAthlete]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p2b5fn7rw7yzdskgl4rgckys/bafkreib5vxip7ozb7rylsp4rrmb75nc5l7n3e7iceqyd33iib25ejyeyvy)
![American Journal News: Collins ad ignores vote that cleared path for Medicaid cuts. “Did cast a procedural vote to begin debating the bill, practically guaranteeing its final passage … OBBB is expected to have a devastating impact on health care in Maine … [with] about 33,000 Mainers losing their health insurance.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7pav6b2wbntgjeiog7hje45m/bafkreifncuszgg7bdvl574nd352xpl2hyg7gfuqz3xg2ufr2h4exk2grbi)
