On January 8th, Governor Mills released her budget framework for the next two years. On February 16th, the legislature’s appropriations committee will begin budget hearings and add its own ideas. 

As drafted, the proposed budget will not meet the needs of Mainers across the state who are struggling to get by. The budget sweeps funds that could be used to address critical community needs into the state’s Rainy Day Fund at a time when tens of thousands of Mainers are struggling to keep their heads above water. People have lost jobs or homes, they’re hungry and their kids are stressed, and they’ve been spending hours and hours every day seeking relief which is all too hard to find. We need a state budget that’s in touch with the reality of peoples’ lives and that meets this moment. We need a budget that doesn’t leave anyone behind. 

Maine Equal Justice focuses on the needs of low-income Mainers, and we have seen their needs grow and hardships multiply. A wave of evictions, thousands without health care, widespread income insecurity: these crises are not going to pass on their own. If the legislature fails to pass a budget that supports Mainers who are struggling to make ends meet now, peoples’ circumstances will only get worse and harder to rectify in the future. Going without help now could mean the loss of a family home; a health crisis that brings disability or costs for years to come; or a degree for a job with a good wage that becomes out of reach. The budget lawmakers pass this year is critical to the futures of low-income households across the state.

In response to the needs communities face, Maine Equal Justice supports bills that target relief to Mainers who are hurting most. In addition to addressing priorities like funding for our schools, municipal governments, and other critical infrastructures, the budget must make these investments to rebuild a stronger Maine in which everyone has a chance to succeed:

The budget must fill gaping holes in our healthcare system:

• Dental care IS health care. For too long, Maine has been in the minority of states that do not offer full dental care for adults covered by Medicaid. Organizations and impacted community members are working together to pass legislation to ensure that adults with low income can access the dental care they need, including preventive, diagnostic and restorative care. 
• Health care coverage must be universal. No one should be excluded due to their immigration status. In the middle of a pandemic and recession, it’s clear that our collective safety and our economic recovery are tied to each person’s ability to get the healthcare they need. The action Governor Mills took on day one of her administration to implement Medicaid expansion has provided 70,000 low income Mainers with health coverage during this pandemic. But many people remain uninsured and it is time to finish the job. We must ensure that all Maine residents with low income have access to Medicaid. 

The budget must invest in shrinking stark racial disparities:

• It is time to invest in the public health infrastructure needed to reduce disparities in health outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The extremely disparate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color in Maine has laid bare inequities in our healthcare system and infrastructure and the dire need for investment in this area.
• The Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations requires more funding to do its important work. The Commission was created by the Maine Legislature in 2019. It is tasked with forwarding “programs that create and improve opportunities and incorporate the goal of eliminating disparities for historically disadvantaged racial, indigenous and tribal populations in Maine.” 

The budget must tackle our growing housing crisis:

• Common-sense improvements in Maine’s housing laws would work to protect renters and provide more support for Mainers seeking affordable homes. 
• The Legislature can take steps now to prevent homelessness by establishing an Eviction Mediation Program and more can be done to protect tenants from unnecessary evictions. 
• Maine must invest in homeless shelters and services to ensure that nobody is going without shelter amidst a public health pandemic.

The budget must ensure that people can make ends meet and weather the economic crisis:

• A lack of affordable, reliable transportation is a big barrier for many low-income families. Without more transportation assistance, sustaining employment and making ends meet will be untenable for many low-income working families.
• People need access to a strong safety net and work support programs to get by and get ahead. We must invest in solutions like those outlined in the September 2020 report from the LIFT working group, which was tasked with making recommendations to improve DHHS programs and services for people with low income. The working group – which was created by the 2019 LIFT bill – proposed policies that will make economic security programs more robust, well-coordinated, and human-centered.. Maine needs to invest in these systemic reforms to improve child and family economic security.

Maine has the resources to direct more relief to low-income Mainers, instead of storing away additional funds in the Rainy Day fund (may we never see a harder rain than the one that is falling right now!) or by closing tax loopholes for corporations and raising taxes for high-income, high-wealth households. It is no secret that the pandemic has exacerbated income inequality, and that upper-income Maine households have not suffered the same hardships. We can build a stronger recovery together if Maine is willing to join other states that have raised revenues to meet this emergent moment.

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