Tuesday, April 29, 2008

ADOPTEE RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN THE NEWS

I was reviewing adoptee news on google. I found this story. It discusses one of the legislators responsible for Maine's turnabout on their law. It goes into effect in 2009. Her name is Roberta Beavers. She has just announced her candidacy. We need more like her. They titled their bill "The Adoptee Human Rights Bill." She also received an Angel in Adoption award. That shocks me considering she went against the normal train of thought on this issue. I gotta love her anyway. She does an awesome job. I know that she still has a lot of work ahead of her.

Here is the story about her. Check it out. For the Maine folks out there, please vote for her.

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Roberta Beavers has announced her candidacy for representative to the Maine Legislature, District 148, which includes all of Eliot and part of South Berwick. She will be running against Republican incumbent Sarah Lewin.

Beavers said she has been busy since she narrowly lost her first election bid against Lewin in 2006.

"The primary thing was working on the Adoptee Human Rights Bill that passed in 2007," she said. "I was commuting often to Augusta, where I hand-selected a bipartisan team of sponsors for this bill.

"It was the right combination of people from both sides of the aisle and from the House and the Senate," she added. "The bill empowers adult adopted people to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate and pay the same fee as anybody not adopted, and also empowers the parents of origin whether of not they wish to be contacted."

In addition to the legislative work, Beavers said she has become involved with the Eliot and South Berwick historical societies, both garden clubs, both libraries as far as fund-raising, and the same for the Great Works Regional Land Trust.

For her work in adoption, Beavers received a U.S. Congressional Angel in Adoption Award and went down to Washington to receive it along with nine other members of her legislative team, including the bill's sponsors.

"I have been listening carefully to the people of Eliot and South Berwick, respecting their concerns and advocating for them in Augusta and will continue to do so," said Beavers.

She said that two of the most critical concerns are energy costs and health care.

"Since Maine consumes less power than it exports, let's run our own electricity system or join the neighboring Canadian grid and reduce the barriers to clean renewable energy resources," she said. "The Canadians are willing to talk, and we should be too."

To reduce health-care costs, she said: "Let's get rid of the near monopoly by one health insurance company. Our people and our businesses are being hurt badly. Without radical change here, there will be no change in the overall business environment."

Beavers' work experience includes 18 years in the chemical industry as a research chemist, marketing analyst and marketing manager, and seven years as a small business owner in computers. She gained her greatest career satisfaction as a career counselor and as an art gallery manager for nonprofit organizations, she said.





1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Amy,

Bobbi was my cohort in Maine. She and I spent many a day in the state capitol with legislators, starting in 2005.
She really is a great person, and will do a wonderful job as Representative for her district.

Also, the AIA award was interesting. We all received it, and we went there to profess how original birth certificates are the most important issue with adoptees today.

It was an interesting trip, as of course we were in the minority. It was mostly about international adoption and domestic foster children.

Thanks for putting Bobbi on your blog.

CathOBCforME