CALL TO ACTION NEEDED NOW to Help Mainers Stay Home and Be Safe

What older Mainers need most is to be able to stay in their own homes and be able to stay safe. 

Please, take action right now on two important measures that are under consideration by the members of the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs this weekend:

1) Low-Income Assistance Program or LIAP helps low-income individuals and families pay for electricity costs. The primary benefit is a credit on their electric bill, reducing the overall cost of electricity. 

LD 995 would supplement budget dollars for the critically important LIAP program which is woefully underfunded. This bill will appropriate an additional $7.5 million per year from the General Fund to keep LIAP at the current funding level.  The Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee passed the bill 12-1 so this minimum level of funding would be provided in a time of increasing electricity rates and bills. Mainers need this program to be funded so they can stay safe in their homes in the coming winters.

 

2) The Older Mainers Act will provide direct support for food, housing and other critical services to low-income and vulnerable Mainers. LD 814 will help address the fact that many older Mainers struggle to meet basic needs. While Agencies on Aging provide essential services statewide, they face dire funding limitations. In addition, around 700 Mainers are already on waiting lists for Meals on Wheels, which has been proven to help Mainers stay in their homes and communities where they want to be. This is only one example where the need is dire. There are other critical needs of older adults that need to be met which can only happen through adequate funding.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 

Contact the members of the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs right away. They are meeting this weekend to make decisions about these critical measures! Below are the phone numbers and email addresses for those on the Appropriations Committee. These lawmakers will be getting hundreds of emails this weekend, so calls are more likely to be noticed. Please call the phone numbers listed below for the offices of the State House and also write an email to each member of Appropriations.

Thank you for taking time to speak up on behalf of at-risk, older Mainers.

 

PHONE: 

· Senate Majority Office: (207) 287-1515

· Senate Minority Office: (207) 287-1505


· House Majority: (207) 287-1430

· House Minority Office: (207) 287-1440

 
EMAIL:

Chairs:

· Margaret.Rotundo@legislature.maine.govSenator – Sen. Peggy Rotundo of Androscoggin

· Andrew.Gattine@legislature.maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook

Members:

· Susan.Bernard@Legislature.Maine.govSenator – Sen. Sue Bernard of Aroostook

· Cameron.Reny@Legislature.Maine.govSenator – Sen. Cameron Reny of Lincoln

· Amy.Arata@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Amy Arata of New Gloucester

· Mark.Blier@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Mark Blier of Buxton

· Michael.Brennan@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Michael Brennan of Portland

· Kristen.Cloutier@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Kristen Cloutier of Lewiston

· Deqa.Dhalac@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Deqa Dhalac of South Portland

· John.Ducharme@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Jack Ducharme of Madison

· Kenneth.Fredette@legislature.maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Kenneth Fredette of Newport

· Ambureen.Rana@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Ambureen Rana of Bangor

· Holly.Stover@Legislature.Maine.govRepresentative – Rep. Holly Stover of Boothbay