BANGOR, Maine — Sen. Joe Baldacci posted a string of tweets targeting neo-Nazi Christopher Pohlhaus and the hate groups in New England that have targeted Mainers based on gender identity, race, and religion.
The senator representing Penobscot said Friday he is contacting Senate President Troy Jackson of Allagash to work with law enforcement agencies throughout the state to find ways to limit Pohlhaus's efforts to grow a white supremacist community in Springfield. He also wants to limit the ways NSC-131, a neo-Nazi group in New England, assembles in the state.
"I don't want a violent situation to happen here in Maine," Baldacci said. "This is a situation I can't imagine any of our local law enforcement have had to deal with, and this is a situation they are going to have to deal with."
Baldacci also told NEWS CENTER Maine he is working with Democratic Rep. Laurie Osher to present a bill in next year's legislative session that would strengthen Maine's laws against organized private armies, like what Pohlhaus has proposed according to extremist watchdogs.
In a statement to NEWS CENTER Maine, Senate President Troy Jackson's office said the senator has already done work to reach out to stakeholders.
"Recently, President Jackson met with top law enforcement officials, representatives from the Mills administration, the Speaker, the AG, and lawmakers from the impacted area to share some concerns," the emailed statement said.
Possibly the most significant showing of hate groups in Maine was the NSC-131 march in Portland on April 1. At that march, neo-Nazi members yelled racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic slurs at people. One member punched and grabbed a counter-protester.
Portland police drew a gun at protesters to disperse the crowd.
PPD received significant criticism for its response and for not arresting people or taking names and received recommendations from the city council on how to respond to these incidents in the future.
Part of Baldacci's efforts would be to help train law enforcement around the state on how best to deal with these showings of hate.
But for people who work with immigrants and asylum seekers in Portland, that April 1 march is seared in their minds.
"That is welcome for us to see lawmakers to that," Mufalo Chitam, the executive director for the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition, said.
Chitam said while those who come to this country seeking asylum are fleeing large amounts of hate already, the symbolism of seeing hate in this country has an impact.
"People say 'going back to the good old days,'" Chitam said. "I don't think we're going back to the good old days, but who gets to figure out what those good old days are?"
Chitam said she hopes the coalition of lawmakers that is forming to address the rise in neo-Nazis will reach out to her office and other advocates in the immigrant space.
"We know what hate is, but we also know what works and what doesn't," Chitam said. "This is not going away, and it's up to all of us as lawmakers and leaders to be able to address it."