Voters in Maine are a step closer to being able to choose whether they want homecare to be universally available for the state’s seniors and people with disabilities.
The homecare citizen initiative, which was validated by Maine’s Secretary of State three weeks ago, will soon be presented to the Maine Legislature, where lawmakers will vote whether to implement the proposal directly or, in a more likely scenario, pass the choice on to the public to decide in the November elections.
Some legislators are saying they look forward to allowing voters have their say on the measure.
“For years I have sat in Augusta and heard literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours of testimony about how we are failing to meet homecare needs of our fellow Mainers,” said Rep. Drew Gattine, chair of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.
“I’ve heard over and over again from seniors and people with disabilities that their biggest fear is that they will be taken out of their homes and away from communities where they have lived their whole lives and forced to live in institutions because affordable home care isn’t there to give them the help they need,” he continued. “I’ve heard from workers who are trained, and ready to work to take care of seniors and people with disabilities. And they tell me that the wages we pay are so low that they can’t afford to do it anymore and that they can earn more working in retail or in fast food.”
“We know these problems exist. We talk and talk and talk about how important it is to solve them. This referendum will give us a chance to do just that,” said Gattine.
Portland Representative Mike Sylvester, a former labor organizer, similarly highlighted the job growth and increased support for home care workers expected with passage of the referendum.
“I spent many years organizing the home care workers in this state,” he said. “Home care workers care for those at the brink of health crisis and yet they live at the brink of economic crisis with the low wages they make. We, as the state, leave large swaths of both groups to fend for themselves. This referendum addresses the care piece and will help to provide stability to home care for clients and providers. My hope is that this will allow the workers to advocate for higher wages and ease both groups back from the brink.”
Senate Democratic leader Sen. Troy Jackson said that care for the state’s sizable senior population “is an issue that has come up again and again in the legislature, but the good work of people of both parties has too often been opposed by the governor. He has withheld housing bonds, vetoed homecare reimbursements and cut funding for assisted living.”
“Our seniors, veterans and people with disabilities all deserve better. They need a guarantee that they can have the freedom to stay in their own homes, without their family going bankrupt. I’m glad the voters will finally get their say,” Jackson added.
Campaign supporters are hopeful that voters, regardless of party, will agree that the homecare initiative will provide much-needed comfort and independence for all Mainers, and that lawmakers will continue to welcome the plan.
“Even people in Augusta are frustrated with the gridlock around important issues such as this,” said Ben Chin, Homecare for All campaign director and political director of the Maine People’s Alliance.
“Nothing is going to define the future of our state like how we choose to take care of our seniors,” said Chin, who penned an op-ed last week outlining the details of the plan.
Last month, the Maine Secretary of State announced that nearly 65,000 of the more than 67,000 petition signatures collected on behalf of the measure were found to be valid, exceeding the 61,123 threshold required for a citizen initiaitive to go to a statewide vote.
Family caregivers and home care workers speak at the State House before volunteers delivered 67,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State. (Photo: Beacon staff)
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