Late on Friday, June 13th and into the following Monday & Tuesday, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee wrapped up the budget (Part 2 / LD 210). That budget passed both the House & Senate and was signed by the Governor. Then on June 24th, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs committee “ran the table” – which means they passed some of the bills that required funding but weren’t rolled into the budget. LD 977 – Resolve, Requiring the Maine Health Data Organization to Develop a Plan for Measuring Gaps in Home and Community-based Services was voted by the committee to be funded. This is a critical piece of our efforts to understand the care gap in Maine and what it will cost to fill it
While the results of this legislative session are a setback, we are counting these as big wins, given the Governor’s priorities and the uncertainty in Washington, DC.
These wins would not have happened if it were not for the strong collaboration and hard work of members of this Partnership and several members of 132 Legislature. THANK YOU!
We look forward to continuing our work throughout the summer and the next legislative session. Thank you again to all of you who supported our efforts. We will need even more champions in the coming year to fight for our vision: “Every person who needs care and support services in Maine is able to receive consistent and predictable care and support from an empowered and valued worker who is trained to deliver quality services, regardless of the setting in which services are delivered.”