Latest news with #D-Brunswick
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Democrats drop opposition to 'red flag' hearing
Jun. 10—Under intense pressure — and threats of a lawsuit — from Republicans and gun rights groups, Democrats reversed course and agreed to hold a public hearing on a citizens initiative that would make it easier to temporarily remove access to firearms from people who are in a crisis. Republicans announced the public hearing shortly before 11:30 p.m. Monday — only moments after Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, told state senators to expect an additional public hearing to soon be announced, though she didn't provide details. The hearing, scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, will focus on a citizen initiative for extreme risk protection order, also known as a 'red flag law," which would allow a family member to petition a court to temporarily remove access to firearms of someone deemed a danger to themselves or others. Maine currently has a "yellow flag" law, which can only be initiative by police, who can only seek a court order after taking that individual into protective custody and provided them with a mental health evaluation. Republicans have been pushing for a public hearing ever since Democrats, who control both chambers, decided not to hold a hearing, citing a hearing on a similar bill last session that did not get a floor vote and the fact that it would ultimately be decided by voters. Republicans accused Democrats of violating a state law, enacted in 2019, requiring a hearing on any citizen initiative that is received when lawmakers are in session. "I'm relieved that my Democrat colleagues finally realized they could not get away with silencing the voices of Maine citizens to limit criticism of this radical gun-control proposal," Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said in a written statement Monday night. "Even the most rabid gun-control activists realized that breaking the law to silence their opposition was not an acceptable way to move their agenda forward." The citizens initiative came forward in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October 2023 and is certain to generate intense debate over gun rights and restrictions ahead of the November vote. Tensions over the call for a public hearing escalated during a late-night session in the Senate last week in which Republicans tried to force the issue through a series of floor votes. The votes fell along party lines with Republicans voting to move forward with a series of motions aimed at forcing action on a public hearing while Democrats voted against them. Democrats resisted holding a hearing, saying it's not required in the Maine Constitution. And last week, Daughtry said that a law enacted by a prior legislature could not bind the current group of lawmakers, which Republicans decried as "a dangerous ruling." The National Rifle Association announced last week that it was joining a planned lawsuit with the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine and the Gun Owners of Maine. In a fundraising appeal, SAM speculated that Democrats don't want to hold a hearing because it will highlight opposition, including from Gov. Janet Mills, law enforcement and other Democratic lawmakers. Mills, a former attorney general, help negotiate the state's current "yellow flag" law and has opposed previous attempts to enact a "red flag" law, which exist in 21 other states. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers clash over future of MaineCare as federal cuts are proposed
May 6—AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers clashed Tuesday over the future of the state's Medicaid program, with Democrats expressing concerns about proposed cuts at the federal level while Republicans continued to push for state-level reforms to a program they say is unsustainable. Democrats held a State House news conference to call attention to the cuts being proposed by Republicans in Congress, which they said could result in tens of thousands of Maine residents losing health care through MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. "I didn't run for office to watch health care be cut for the rest of us while the ultrawealthy avoid paying their fair share," said Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick. "But that's exactly what could happen if the Republicans in Congress succeed in slashing Medicaid funding through tax cuts." Congressional Republicans are considering sweeping cuts to Medicaid as part of a budget package they're putting together. Some of the proposals include adding work requirements for adult recipients and rolling back a Medicaid expansion enacted as part of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. That has included discussion about proposed "per capita caps" that would limit how much the federal government pays per enrollee — which could shift costs to states, prompting them to narrow eligibility or scale back services. About 400,000 people in Maine have Medicaid coverage, or about 29% of the state's 1.4 million residents. Nationally, about 1 in 5 people has Medicaid coverage. Democrats in the Legislature condemned the proposed cuts Tuesday, saying they would disproportionately affect children and would add to the challenges at rural hospitals and nursing homes. Those facilities are already strained because of curtailed MaineCare payments that took effect in March after lawmakers failed to pass an emergency budget funding a gap in the MaineCare budget. They also highlighted several Democratic bills aimed at safeguarding health care access, including LD 558, to protect consumers from the negative impacts of medical debt; LD 143, to increase state funding for family planning services; and LD 1523, to expand access to doula care in light of recent closures of hospital birthing units. At their own news conference Tuesday, legislative Republicans criticized Democrats for failing to include more than $100 million in anticipated MaineCare cost increases in fiscal year 2027 in the continuing services budget approved in March. Democrats have said the approved budget was a baseline and that they will take up funding shortfalls and major policy proposals in the next phase of budget work. "I think what Democrats are doing is what they always do — pointing the finger at Republicans saying that we want to cut your health care and do this and that," said House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor. "They're pointing at the national Republicans. They're pointing at the state Republicans, but what we're seeing here in the state of Maine is that they've created a problem, which is that the health care system is not solvent." Republicans had pushed for MaineCare reform during negotiations over a supplemental budget that failed to get approval earlier this legislative session, specifically calling for enrollment limits for "able-bodied" childless adults, as well as a requirement for work, education or community service. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, called again for work requirements for MaineCare enrollees Tuesday. "We are trying to save (this program) so it is there for those who actually need it," Stewart said. Daughtry, the Senate president, said Democrats are willing to discuss reforms to MaineCare that are tailored to Maine. "If we see a plan that is not copy and pasted from Project 2025, D.C. or the failed plan out of Georgia, we are willing to discuss anything that will improve any of our government plans," Daughtry said. Georgia included a work requirement when it opted into an Affordable Care Act expansion in 2023, but its program has been criticized for adding an administrative burden to the state and making it harder for people to access health care for reasons beyond their control, such as if they work in low-paying jobs that reduce hours without notice or if they lack child care. "Unfortunately, what we've had is the same things over and over," Daughtry said. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers break deadlock on budget, agree to compromise deal
Mar. 11—AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers reached a compromise budget deal Tuesday, setting new limits on housing assistance to win the bipartisan support needed to avoid cuts in payments to MaineCare providers through the end of June. The deal was initially approved by the Senate in a 31-2 vote Tuesday evening, followed by a vote in the House of Representatives of 129-10. Once enacted through a second set of votes, the compromise means the state will resume regular payments to MaineCare providers after a brief curtailment. Both the Senate and House of Representatives needed to approve the deal with a two-thirds majority for the budget adjustments to take effect immediately. "This is a responsible supplemental budget that pays our bills for the remainder of the fiscal year and reflects a commitment to finding consensus on issues that are important to all of us," Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, said while introducing the compromise proposal on the Senate floor. The proposal limits how long some Mainers can receive housing assistance through the state's General Assistance program in an effort to win Republican support for a plan to balance the state's budget over the next three months. It would, among other things, limit housing vouchers to 12 months within a three-year period under the state's General Assistance program, which is designed to be a last-resort safety net program but has grown in recent years to provide ongoing rental support. Republicans have pushed for such a limit, and it could provide the support needed to pass a supplemental budget as an emergency measure and allow the state to maintain payments to medical providers serving patients through MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. The proposed General Assistance limits, which would not apply to emergency shelters or temporary housing, are not as strict as those originally proposed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and supported by House Republicans. Mills originally proposed limiting housing assistance through GA to three months within a 12-month period. Daughtry's amendment would fund an independent audit to look for "for fraud, waste and abuse" in the MaineCare program, while also requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to seek federal approval for a 1.95% cost of living increase to direct care workers. The audit would be due on Jan. 5. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said Tuesday that he supports the proposal. "I do think this amendment represents improvement in the bill," he said on the Senate floor. "To echo a lot of the remarks the senator from Brunswick mentioned about the various components, I think a lot of them are needed." Nearly all of the $121 million supplemental budget is dedicated to closing a $118 million deficit in MaineCare costs through June, the end of the current fiscal year. Another $2 million is proposed to fight spruce budworm infestations threatening Maine forests. Even if a deal is reached Tuesday, the delay in adopting a supplemental budget means the state will have to reduce payments to medical providers in the short term, according to state officials. Passage of a budget Tuesday would mean reimbursements would be restored going forward. Beginning Wednesday, the state will only pay 70% of prospective interim payments to critical access hospitals, while withholding payments for all hospital claims greater than $50,000 and payments to large retail pharmacies, large durable medical equipment providers, and out-of-state providers of hospital, ambulance, pharmacy and durable medical equipment services. Critical access hospitals are smaller, isolated, rural community hospitals designated by the federal government to receive higher reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid, while prospective interim payments provide a steady source of revenue so these facilities can pay fixed expenses throughout the year. Maine has about 17 critical access hospitals, all of which are located in rural areas, including Bridgton, Calais, Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville, Houlton, Millinocket and Rumford, according to the Maine Hospital Association. A DHHS spokesperson said that providers will still see curtailed payments beginning Wednesday even if lawmakers pass the emergency budget, because there's a one week lag time in reimbursements. Enacting an emergency budget would avoid further curtailments, so that providers would receive their full reimbursements beginning next week. Republicans have also insisted on adding work requirements for MaineCare before they will support the supplemental budget. But Democrats have balked at that proposal since, unlike the GA reforms, work requirements have not been subject to a public hearing. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers break deadlock on budget, agree to compromise deal
Mar. 11—AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers reached a compromise budget deal Tuesday, setting new limits on housing assistance to win the bipartisan support needed to avoid cuts in payments to MaineCare providers through the end of June. The deal was initially approved by the Senate in a 31-2 vote Tuesday evening, followed by a vote in the House of Representatives of 129-10. Once enacted through a second set of votes, the compromise means the state will resume regular payments to MaineCare providers after a brief curtailment. Both the Senate and House of Representatives needed to approve the deal with a two-thirds majority for the budget adjustments to take effect immediately. "This is a responsible supplemental budget that pays our bills for the remainder of the fiscal year and reflects a commitment to finding consensus on issues that are important to all of us," Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, said while introducing the compromise proposal on the Senate floor. The proposal limits how long some Mainers can receive housing assistance through the state's General Assistance program in an effort to win Republican support for a plan to balance the state's budget over the next three months. It would, among other things, limit housing vouchers to 12 months within a three-year period under the state's General Assistance program, which is designed to be a last-resort safety net program but has grown in recent years to provide ongoing rental support. Republicans have pushed for such a limit, and it could provide the support needed to pass a supplemental budget as an emergency measure and allow the state to maintain payments to medical providers serving patients through MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. The proposed General Assistance limits, which would not apply to emergency shelters or temporary housing, are not as strict as those originally proposed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and supported by House Republicans. Mills originally proposed limiting housing assistance through GA to three months within a 12-month period. Daughtry's amendment would fund an independent audit to look for "for fraud, waste and abuse" in the MaineCare program, while also requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to seek federal approval for a 1.95% cost of living increase to direct care workers. The audit would be due on Jan. 5. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said Tuesday that he supports the proposal. "I do think this amendment represents improvement in the bill," he said on the Senate floor. "To echo a lot of the remarks the senator from Brunswick mentioned about the various components, I think a lot of them are needed." Nearly all of the $121 million supplemental budget is dedicated to closing a $118 million deficit in MaineCare costs through June, the end of the current fiscal year. Another $2 million is proposed to fight spruce budworm infestations threatening Maine forests. Even if a deal is reached Tuesday, the delay in adopting a supplemental budget means the state will have to reduce payments to medical providers in the short term, according to state officials. Passage of a budget Tuesday would mean reimbursements would be restored going forward. Beginning Wednesday, the state will only pay 70% of prospective interim payments to critical access hospitals, while withholding payments for all hospital claims greater than $50,000 and payments to large retail pharmacies, large durable medical equipment providers, and out-of-state providers of hospital, ambulance, pharmacy and durable medical equipment services. Critical access hospitals are smaller, isolated, rural community hospitals designated by the federal government to receive higher reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid, while prospective interim payments provide a steady source of revenue so these facilities can pay fixed expenses throughout the year. Maine has about 17 critical access hospitals, all of which are located in rural areas, including Bridgton, Calais, Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville, Houlton, Millinocket and Rumford, according to the Maine Hospital Association. A DHHS spokesperson said that providers will still see curtailed payments beginning Wednesday even if lawmakers pass the emergency budget, because there's a one week lag time in reimbursements. Enacting an emergency budget would avoid further curtailments, so that providers would receive their full reimbursements beginning next week. Republicans have also insisted on adding work requirements for MaineCare before they will support the supplemental budget. But Democrats have balked at that proposal since, unlike the GA reforms, work requirements have not been subject to a public hearing. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
