On Saturday, December 10^th, I attended a Legislative Listening Session at the Lewiston Public Library with the Lewiston Delegation. Senator Margaret Craven, Rep. Peggy Rotundo, Rep. Richard Wagner, and Rep. Mike Carey were present. The room was full with concerned citizens from the L/A area.

At the session, we discussed the Governors upcoming Supplemental Budget. The deep cuts proposed in this budget turn MaineCare on its’ head. DHHS is expected to have a shortfall of $120 million. As Republicans try to scare the public by telling them the sky is falling, Democrats in Augusta are looking for an explanation from DHHS as to where the shortfall lies. So far, DHHS has not been able to explain what is driving the shortfall. With all of the seasoned employees that have been let go at DHHS, it is not surprising that the new commissioner cannot explain where the shortfall is coming from…. Perhaps no one in the department knows? We will have to pay attention this week to see if there is an explanation from the new DHHS commissioner.

People need to understand that these cuts not only affect poor people. The funds being cut in MaineCare include drug assistance for the elderly, and cuts to seniors who receive nursing home care. MaineCare will also see a 50% cut to outreach services. This includes cuts to school based health centers, substance abuse and mental health services. And, let’s not forget the loss of health insurance coverage for up to 65,000 Mainers.

One man attending the listening session said it well. He said, “This budget is anti-women, anti-children, anti-seniors, and anti-disabled.” Many at the session wondered why revenues are not on the table. The state of Maine currently gives $400 million in tax incentives to various businesses throughout the state. What happens to these revenues? Where are these funds going? Are jobs being created from these tax incentives? Sawin Millett, Maine’s Finance Commissioner, recently admitted publically that the tax breaks for the wealthiest Mainer’s that the Republicans got through last year were financed through restructuring of the state employees pensions and cuts to DHHS.

Republicans in Augusta want nothing more than to get people all worked up and angry so that attention is diverted from their radical agenda and they can push it through. I am sure we will see more on this after the short session begins in January. The cuts our Governor is proposing do not address people’s needs in the most cost effective way. People are just not going to go away and they are still going to get sick or need services. Who will pay for these services once the cuts are made? Will the hospitals have to eat the costs? Most likely insurers will up their costs and we will all pay. Remember that health insurance bill that the Republicans pushed through last session? One of the provisions of the bill said that a health insurance company can raise their costs by up to 10% without asking for a rate increase. I would expect that if the proposed cuts go through, we will all see that 10% increase.

The Department of Health and Human Services goes in front of Appropriations this Wednesday, December 14th through Friday, December 16th. If you have free time and want to be heard, please head to the statehouse in Augusta to attend the public hearings. Your voice does make a difference. Your stories need to be heard.

Let’s talk bonds for a moment. Non-profits can receive bonds at a reduced rate and save millions of dollars. Most of these bonds are for large construction projects by colleges, hospitals, etc., that are of no cost to taxpayers. These projects create jobs. Our Governor is no longer signing these bonds for the state’s non-profits. The non-profits in our state employ about 28% of the population of Maine. This will cost these non-profits millions of unnecessary dollars.

If any of the above issues concern you, or if you have questions about how to contact your legislator, please feel free to contact me. I am just as concerned as you are.

On August 23rd, I testified in front of the Congressional Redistricting Panel. I brought with me an online petition that I gathered with over 4000 signatures of people throughout Maine. The petition was against the Republican’s radical redistricting plan. There was quite a crowd in Augusta that day. As reported by the media, over 90% of the people that spoke out were against the Republican’s highly political, radical plan. You can watch my testimony below. 

Stacy Dostie on Redistricting

This issue is huge for the Lewiston/Auburn area. The Republican’s are not budging on their radical plan. By our current laws, a new redistricting plan will need the approval of 2/3rds of the full Legislature to pass. My worry, along with many others, is that the Republicans will, instead of playing by the rules, change the law so they can pass the plan by a simple majority vote. If this happens Lewiston/Auburn will be just a shadow of Portland.

If you have friends or neighbors interested in receiving this information, please forward it to them or have them sign up. As always if you have questions or comments, please contact me.

Enjoy the sunshine!

P.S. Episode three of Beyond the Pines is now playing! Do you live in Sabattus or L/A? If so watch it on Great Falls TV on Tuesday nights at 7 pm. You can also watch it online at www.beyondthepines.com. Episode three is about the Greater Andro Humane Society, the Sabattus Fire Dept and Bobby Silcott from the POM Project.

What a beautiful summer so far! I hope that you have had time to enjoy the nice weather.

Recently, I attended a function in Portland with Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Debbie is a congresswoman from Florida and the head of the Democratic National Committee. She spoke of the president and of the negotiations on the debt ceiling. As we all know by now, the gridlock on this debt ceiling issue was created by Tea Party Republican’s in the US House. I think even John Boehner was frustrated with his own party!

Take a look at this video. It is very disappointing. Tea Party R’s don’t seem to give a damn about the people of our nation. Keep in mind that we have several Tea Party state reps and senators in Androscoggin County. With our Governor saying how much the cuts will hurt come January, I am sure we can expect more cuts on the backs of the middle class without increased revenues from big corporations and the wealthy in Maine. This seems to be the new Republican way. I want to know what happened to working on jobs on the national and state level? We need to get our people back to work and balance revenues by having big oil, the wealthy and large corporations pay their share.

On Monday, I attended the press conference at the State House for same day voter registration. The organizations that collected signatures were able to collect 68,064 signatures in just a few weeks! I myself helped collect signatures at the Moxie Festival. 30 boxes of valid signatures were delivered to the Secretary of State’s office by a very energetic crowd! Check out the news coverage by WGME here.

School will be starting soon. My kids are kind of torn about this. They want to see their friends, but they are also enjoying their time off. Ah, I remember those days. Do you?

Summers here. I hope you all are enjoying the sunshine. I spent a couple of days at the ocean with my son’s last weekend. It was beautiful. We stayed at Sagadahoc Bay Campground. If you enjoy camping check it out.

Damage was done this year by the Republican’s and their national agenda. The Governor has already stated that he is not done with his agenda. Most likely, that means more trouble for unions, state workers, and welfare next year…. and maybe more tax cuts for the wealthy and big business.

Same Day Voter Registration

A coalition of groups led by the League of Women Voters of Maine will be working hard over the next few weeks to gather at least 57,277 signatures to put a question before voters in November or next June. The ballot question will read, “Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Law of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?”

The bill to end same-day voter registration was supported in the House and Senate by Republicans in the Legislature. Crafts (R-Lisbon), Espling (R-New Gloucester), Knight (R-Livermore Falls), Timberlake (R-Turner) and Wood (R-Sabattus) all voted to stop same day voter registration.

If you would like to sign or would like to help gather signatures in Androscoggin County, please call Heidi at 782-2146.

In 2008, almost 60,000 voters registered to vote on election day. Because of same day voter registration, Maine has or had one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation. View the Roll Calls of the House and Senate here.

Throughout the summer, I will be in touch about Legislative Listening Sessions that are being planned. Currently sessions are being planned for Greene and Lewiston in late July. If you would like dates and locations, please e-mail me.

It has been a busy couple of weeks. I have been finishing up a term of classes and finally found time to write today. I am happy to say that I made the Dean’s list again this past term. I have one more term to go and I will will my Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. I have really enjoyed going back to school.

Now on to some really important stuff. Augusta has been real busy. I attended a listening session with part of the Lewiston delegation this morning. Rep. Peggy Rotundo and Sen. Margaret Craven were present. It was very informative. Peggy is on Appropriations and she filled us in on what has been happening with the budget. Some good news–the Drugs for the Elderly and Medicare cuts have been refunded in the proposed budget. Those cuts would have hurt thousands and thousands of Mainers.

State Workers

In the proposed budget, the Democrats on Appropriations have worked hard to negotiate for state union workers. I have heard that some state retirees are not happy with this proposal. It is so critical that state workers think clearly about what was achieved on this proposal. With the Democrats help the union received most of what they were asking for. The budget needs to be agreed on by both sides to pass. It has to be a 2/3rds vote. It will take Republicans and Democrats to pass.

These last few days are so critical to this process. If there is not a 2/3rds vote on the budget, all could be lost. If you are a state worker, please consider the above carefully before sending out e-mails or calling your Rep/Sen in opposition to the above proposal. It could end up being all or nothing for you.

Common Sense Caucus????

It is my understanding that the Tea Party Republicans in Augusta have created the “Common Sense Caucus.” Dale Crafts (Rep. Lisbon) is the chair of this caucus. There are 51 members of this caucus. Jeffrey Timberlake (Rep. Turner) and Steve Wood (Rep. Sabattus) are also members of this caucus.

Last week they wrote a letter and delivered it to legislative leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee. The letter stated that they would not compromise on the Governor’s budget. Dale Crafts stated, “We’re holding on the tax cuts.” As you know, the Governor’s budget includes generous tax cuts for the wealthy while leaving the low- and middle-class out to dry.

Fifty-one is the number of votes that could totally derail the budget in the House. If the budget is derailed it would not be good for Maine. If the Governor decides to veto the budget as he has threatened it could mean a state shutdown and a total breakdown in negotiations.

Helping Local Farmers

Sen. Justin Alfond proposed a bill to allow food stamp recipients to purchase food at farmers markets. This is a great idea. It not only helps farmers, but it ensures that the recipient and their family are eating wholesome healthy foods. Every Republican in the Senate voted against this bill. It appears that they just don’t care about the little guys or the people of Maine. See the roll call here. Mason and Snowe-Mello also voted against this bill. Roll-call #137

Bill to Stop Same Day Voter Registration Passes

This bill, LD 1376, eliminates voting day registration in Maine and moves the last day that a person could register to vote to be the Thursday before election day. This issue has fueled emotions on both sides. Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, made some comments that show the real intentions of the bill. It is not to help town clerks. As a matter of fact, not one town clerk testified against this bill. The real purpose of this bill is to hurt the Democratic party.

Bill Nemitz of the Portland Press Herald interviewed Webster. Webster is quoted as saying, “If you want to get really honest, this is about how the Democrats have managed to steal elections from Maine people. Many of us believe that the Democrats intentionally steal elections.” Senate Democrats called the statements “un-American and shameful.”

Sen. Justin Alfond (Dem.) stated that Webster told him that the bill’s passage would damage the political viability of some Democrats. Webster told Alfond, “This strategy will ensure that socialists and liberals like you won’t get elected anymore.”

In 2008, almost 60,000 voters registered to vote on election day. Because of same day voter registration, Maine has or had one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation. Groups that opposed passage of the the bill include the Disability Rights Center, the League of Women Voters of Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, the Maine Municipal Association, the Maine League of Young Voters and the Maine Women’s Lobby.

This was part of the Republican agenda in Augusta and the bill passed with a party-line vote in both the House and Senate. View the Roll Calls here.

Pesticide Notification Registry

I find this disturbing. The Pesticide Notification Registry was killed on party line votes in the both the House and Senate. Republicans voted to kill it. The word is that a compromise was worked out by moderate Republicans and Democrats that would have had the Department of Agriculture run the Registry, but the Revisor’s Office was not able to get the new language to the House until after the vote. You can mark that up to having unexperienced leadership. The vote should have never taken place until the amendment was received. Roll-call #99 The Registry will end in September. So much for protecting the health of Mainers from dangerous chemicals.

Senate Backs a Bill to Allow Workers to Keep Guns in Cars

The House and Senate voted along party lines (Rs for, Ds against) to approve a bill that says an employer may not prohibit an employee with a valid concealed-firearms permit from keeping a gun in a locked car at work. People who support the bill say that the individuals’ right to bear arms outweighs the rights for business owners. Opponents say that businesses should have the right to set policies regarding guns on their properties. Think about how scary this is. How would you like to go to work and know that your gun carrying co-workers brought their guns to work? This could create fear and intimidation in the work place.

Transgender and Women’s Rights

All four bills that would have limited a woman’s access to abortion were rejected: LD 116, LD 924, LD 1457 and LD 1463. The transgender bill, LD1046, was also killed. This bill would have allowed businesses to prohibit transgender persons from using the toilet room of their choice.

Welfare

This information is from the Maine Equal Justice Partners.

The Appropriations Committee REJECTED the following cuts (this means if 2/3rds of the Legislature accepts the proposed budget the following proposals WILL NOT go into effect):

· Most of the proposals to cut the MaineCare Program were rejected by the Committee.

· The cut to the Alternative Aid program was also rejected.

· In addition, the Committee rejected ALL of the proposed cuts to the General Assistance program.

The Appropriations Committee did, however, ACCEPT the following cuts - (this means that if 2/3rds of the Legislature accepts the proposed budget the following proposals WILL go into effect):

Programs that Assist Legal Immigrants

Original Proposal - Completely eliminate eligibility for TANF, the Food Supplement Program and SSI benefits for legal immigrants for their first 5 years.

Proposal Accepted by the Committee - TANF, SSI and Food Supplement, current recipients who are legal immigrants currently receiving TANF, SSI and Food Supplement during their first 5 years in the country will continue to receive those benefits if they continue to be eligible for them. In other words, these people will be “grandfathered” and will continue to get benefits.

New Applicants - New applicants will only be eligible for these programs if they are elderly and/or disabled, domestic violence survivors, or fit into some other hardship category, such as waiting for work documentation, as will be established by DHHS in rules.

MaineCare

MaineCare coverage for all legal immigrants during their first 5 years will be eliminated, except for children and pregnant women. This includes 227 individuals who are elderly and/or have a disability who are currently covered and will be cut off.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program

Original Proposal - Impose a strict lifetime 5-year time limit in the TANF Program with NO exceptions.

Proposal Accepted by the Committee - Beginning January 1, 2012, a 5-year time limit will be imposed in the TANF program. There will be extensions and exemptions so that certain families will be able to continue to get assistance beyond that 5 year cap.

Original Proposal - Impose sanctions against the entire family, including children, if a parent does not fully comply with TANF/ASPIRE program rules.

Proposal Accepted by the Committee - Beginning January 1, 2012, a new sanction process will be put in place. For the first sanction, only the adult will lose benefits. If they do not comply within 90 days and for any additional sanction the whole family will lose benefits, unless they have good cause.

Original Proposal - Impose a requirement that any parent that has been convicted of a drug-related felony would have to show proof of ongoing drug testing to be eligible to receive TANF for their family. If the person tested positive for drug use, the family would lose all assistance.

Proposal Accepted by the Committee - DHHS could require any parent that has been convicted of a drug-related felony in the past 20 years to have a drug test. Individuals who do not believe the test is accurate can have a second confirmatory test and appeal any decision. If they test positive for illegal drug use, DHHS can require them to enroll in a drug treatment program if one is available.
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The Maine Legislatue will be adjourning this week. It is still important to speak out on the issues that concern you. Democrats were able to negotiate and stop many bad bills from passing. Unfortunately they could not stop them all. Please contact me if you have questions on any of the information above. If I can’t answer them, I will find someone who can.

If you have friends or neighbors interested in receiving this information, please forward it to them or have them sign up.

Have a wonderful week!

P.S. Do you live in Sabattus or L/A? If so watch my new show Beyond the PInes on Tuesday nights at 7 pm. You can also watch it online at www.beyondthepines.com. Episode too is now out! In this episode we visit the Paper and Heritage Museum in Livermore Falls and Loaves and Fishes in Sabattus.