Maine families deserve to know that state resources aren't being used in ways that put people at risk or drag us into federal enforcement operations we never agreed to. When Secretary of State Shenna Bellows denied a federal request for covert license plates just before a major ICE operation launched in January 2026, she wasn't being obstinate — she was doing her job. State law gives her that discretion, and she used it exactly as intended: to make sure Maine plates aren't used for purposes that could be unlawful or that the state can't verify or stand behind.
That decision matters. Maine shouldn't be handing over its infrastructure — our plates, our databases, our credibility — to federal agencies without any accountability for how those tools get used. Secretary Bellows then updated state policy so that any future covert plate request requires proper assurances. That's responsible governance, and it deserves the full backing of the legislature. Other states have tried to override this kind of common-sense anticommandeering decision through legislative pressure. I don't want to see that happen here.
Please go on record in support of Secretary Bellows' updated covert plate policy and make clear that you will oppose any effort — in this session or the next — to strip state officials of the authority to say no when federal requests don't come with adequate safeguards.
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