Permanent Commission presents racial-disparities report and interactive mapping tool to lawmakers

Bridal Ritchie, Executive Director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations, presented the commission's annual report and new data tools to the Maine State Legislature's State and Local Government Committee on Feb. 10, outlining research products, community grants and upcoming reports intended to help policymakers and community organizations track racial and tribal disparities across the state.

The commission, created in 2019 and composed of 17 seats, said in its presentation that its statutory mission is to "promote, implement, and coordinate programs that create and improve opportunities and incorporate the goal of eliminating disparities for historically disadvantaged racial, indigenous, and tribal populations," and that statute mandates annual reporting and public engagement. "We are very pleased that the State and Local…