Legislature advances funding for family planning services though appropriators will have final say
Both chambers of the Maine Legislature cast initial votes to pass legislation that would increase funding for sexual and reproductive health care services.
The House voted 78-66 on Tuesday after the Senate passed the measure 21-13 on Thursday. However, enactment votes must still occur in both chambers and the bill needs to secure funding, which is tight this session as the state faces a substantial budget deficit.
The bill, LD 143, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Pierce and nine Democratic co-sponsors, including both presiding officers, would provide an annual allocation of $6.18 million for what are considered family planning services, which include routine gynecological and well exams, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, birth control, cancer screenings, gender-affirming and behavioral health care, among others.
These funds would be in addition to the baseline $978,000 the state annually provides for family planning, which providers argue has been stagnant for a decade and is no longer adequate to meet needs.
Reproductive health providers call for more state funding as federal threats loom
Such funding is not used for abortions, though several people who submitted testimony against LD 143 falsely claimed the bill would fund the procedure, as did several lawmakers on the House floor on Thursday.
Rep. Kathy Irene Javner (R-Chester) and Rep. Marygrace Caroline Cimino (R-Bridgton) requested on the House floor that the bill explicitly state the funds won't be used for abortion. Rep. Michael Lemelin (R-Chelsea) said, 'this bill comes as close to money laundering as I've ever seen,' claiming that the funding could possibly be used by healthcare providers for things such as spending in elections.
'We can say categorically that these dollars are not used to support the provision of abortion care services, nor are they used to support political campaigns,' George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning, the statewide grantee for both federal and state family planning dollars, told Maine Morning Star after the comments on the House floor.
Maine Family Planning and its sub-grantees, including Planned Parenthood, are subject to regular federal audits.
'Not once in our 50+ years as the statewide grantee have we been found to be non-compliant on either of these baseless claims,' Hill said.
Lisa Margulies, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, similarly told Maine Morning Star after the representatives' comments that providers have robust systems for accounting and auditing to ensure compliance with all requirements of federal and state laws.
'It's unfortunate that we have elected leaders sowing confusion about this bill and what it would fund,' Margulies said.
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Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the clinical side of operations, and the Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund PAC, which spends in elections, are also separate organizations, Margulies clarified.
'The very reason that organization exists,' Margulies said referring to the PAC, 'is because of the political attacks we face constantly in providing clinical care to patients through Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.'
On the House floor, Javner and House Assistant Minority Leader Katrina Smith (R-Palermo) argued the funding should instead go toward labor and delivery units in Maine. Several maternity units have closed in recent weeks, in rural areas in particular, though their leadership have cited low birth rates rather than a lack of funding.
The legislation ultimately secured the support of the Democratic majority on Tuesday, with some members of that caucus sharing personal stories to illustrate the broad array of services that constitute family planning.
Rep. Cassie Lynn Julia (D-Waterville) said she was diagnosed with cancer at 18 years old at a center funded by family planning dollars.
'If I didn't have access to Waterville family planning when I was growing up as the child of a single dad, I probably wouldn't be here,' Julia said.
Providers say Trump Title X freeze will have devastating impact on tens of thousands of Mainers
Providers say the state funding increase is also crucial in light of President Donald Trump withholding federal funds to health care providers under what's known as Title X, the country's only federally funded program that supports family planning services. Providers in the Title X network have never been able to use the funds for abortion services, however those who offer such services are eligible to receive and use the funds for family planning services.
Providers also pointed to possible cuts to Medicaid in the congressional budget plan when emphasizing the importance of state support.
Maine Family Planning and its subgrantees serve roughly 31,000 patients across the state each year and more than 70% qualified for free or reduced-cost care in 2023.
Last year, 47% of the patients served by Maine Family Planning were enrolled in MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program, which is a joint federal-state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited incomes.
This is not the first time providers and lawmakers have sought an increase in state family planning funding, though they're upping their ask this year.
Last session, Pierce sought a nearly $3.4 million increase. While that bill received initial support from both chambers and was approved to receive funding by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, it ultimately failed because it wasn't taken up for final enactment votes before session ended.
LD 143 still needs to clear the hurdles that held up the legislation last year, all within a much tighter budget year.
'While there's a ton of budget priorities and there's a lot of important things to fund, it is absolutely essential that we keep reproductive health care available to Mainers,' Margulies said.
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