LD702 designates January 6 as “A Day to Remember.” Each year, the governor must issue a proclamation honoring what the law describes as the “resilience of democracy” during the events of January 6, 2021, and encourage citizens to reflect on “democratic values,” “civic responsibility,” and “constitutional governance.” The law also urges schools, civic groups, and libraries to hold educational discussions and events promoting civic engagement and respect for the rule of law.
The Maine State Senate passed LD702 on May 22, 2025 by a vote of 19 to 14. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this measure enshrines into state law a misleading and politically charged narrative of January 6. Rather than promoting genuine civic understanding, LD702 requires the governor and public institutions to reinforce a storyline that ignores federal involvement, selective media framing, and the serious due-process violations suffered by many defendants. By mandating annual observances that celebrate the “resilience of democracy,” the bill transforms a complex and heavily politicized event into a tool for ideological instruction—particularly in schools and civic groups—while obscuring the constitutional concerns raised by the government’s own actions that day and afterward. Maine should not codify propaganda or compel citizens to affirm a version of events that remains deeply disputed and weaponized for partisan ends.