Just testified at the hearing to shut down the Maine Information and Analysis Center, MIAC. Which sends "situational awareness" bulletins to CEOs, spying on protesters and collecting information on just about anyone with no oversight. This hearing is wild!

My testimony focused on their drug interdiction efforts: recirculating mug shots of people arrested, bulletins about New England gangs -- like the "Bilingual Street Gang" in Springfield.

I argue: "people charged with trafficking because of the amount of drugs they use, because Maine’s antiquated drug laws define possession of small quantities of drugs as trafficking. Or selling drugs to support their habit, to not become dopesick, because of mental illness."

Other witness include anti-maskers who are "stalked by the MIAC" on Facebook. The chair of the Freedom Pac and the Libertarian party of Maine who thinks he will end up on a no-fly list by being here.

And of course @Brendan_McQuade giving a master class on criminalization of poverty and mental illness in Maine and how the MIAC and other wasted money could be redirected. Thank you Professor McQuade!

My vote: LD488 to fund recovery centers throughout Maine. Because we don't have them available to people. And guess what: the million dollars for the MIAC is exactly what the recovery center expansion project requests!

Now Whitney Parish bringing it home by reminding us how the MIAC targeted beloved activist Jesse Harvey, contributing to his death on Memorial Day.

And No CNP corridor activist testifying about being targeted by the MIAC, had a bogus complaint filed against her about "compensation" she should have disclosed -- but she is a volunteer! Not great intel there.

Now Sauschuck testifying for the MIAC. I suggest you check out his 2016 Ted Talk, where he argues for a public health approach and the need to not just repeated failed policies:

Says it is an information sharing platform. About protests coming to an area, "to help you facilitate your first amendment rights." "If we can't get information, will go to a public facing social media account."

Now he is calling the MIAC an Amber alert system, saying it helped find a missing girl. And you don't want to oppose that do you?

And Rep. Rudnicki asks if you can ask the MIAC for information about yourself -- and yes! There is a process for that. But it is not on their website, so maybe you want to check out: https://www.maine.gov/foaa/request/index.shtml