Lawmakers Approve Child Care Union Bill

Portland Press Herald 4/15 State House: The measure recognizes the family child care providers' union and authorizes negotiations. By GLENN ADAMS, The Associated Press AUGUSTA — The Legislature moved closer Monday to recognizing a new union representing nearly 2,200 people in Maine who care for children in their homes. Without debate, the House voted 73-65 in favor of a bill that acknowledges the family child care providers' union and authorizes negotiations beginning July 1, 2009. Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 20-15 in favor of the bill, which faced a final round of votes. The measure represents a crucial step toward starting collective bargaining between the state and state-licensed child-care businesses, which provide care for 17,000 children, mainly over training, rules and regulations. "It gives them the ability to have some kind of a voice in the legislative process, particularly around the rule-making process," said Mary Anne Turowski, legislative and political director for the Maine State Employees Association. Turowski said the bill was a priority for the union in this session. In October, providers voted 790-125 in favor of being represented by the MSEA, part of the Service Employees International Union. But before any kind of negotiations can begin, the Legislature has to enact a statute that acknowledges the union's existence. The state provides full or partial compensation to all of the child care providers, most of them private, home-based businesses. Besides gaining more influence in the regulatory process, the providers are expected to get access to health insurance through the Service Employees International Union, Turowski said. As of last fall, 10 states had given family child-care professionals the right to form unions. In March, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed an SEIU-backed bill to grant collective bargaining rights to subsidized child-care providers in that state. California's 90,000 providers serve 700,000 families at a public cost of more than $3 billion. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger cited the cost. in an email from Representative David Cotta

Small Business Health Options Program - Pooling for Health Insurance

In today's Portland Press Herald there was an article, which is not available online, about Snowe's support for a system of cross state pools in order to bargain for health insurance. Here is the April 2nd press release from her site. Is this a good thing? Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) led a bipartisan effort today that included Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) and Norm Coleman (R-Minn) in announcing the introduction of breakthrough legislation aimed at making health insurance plans more affordable for small businesses. The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is designed to make insurance more available and affordable for the 41.7 million employees of the nation's 5.8 million small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. "If there's one concern I've heard time and again from small businesses in Maine and across the country, it's the exorbitant cost of providing health insurance to employees," said Senator Snowe, the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. "As costs rise, small businesses are forced to choose between the solvency of their business and the welfare of their employees. This hybrid legislation transcends partisan politics and puts the focus where it belongs – on providing health insurance options that are more affordable and accessible for small businesses and their employees." The SHOP Act addresses the number one problem for many small businesses and the self-employed -- the high cost of providing health care for their employees -- by: Allowing small businesses and the self-employed to band together across state lines and spread the risk over a large number of participants in order to obtain lower premiums. Providing targeted tax credits for small business owners to offset contributions to employee premiums. Maine small businesses would be eligible for the tax credits immediately upon enactment of the SHOP Act. Prohibiting health status rating based on health status and limiting other factors in order to protect businesses from large rate increases simply because one employee gets sick. "This bill will level the playing field by allowing small businesses and the self-employed to pool together the same way larger employers are able to do so they can secure quality, affordable health insurance at significantly reduced costs," Senator Snowe added. "By taking action now, and passing the SHOP Act, we can partner with our nation's job creators and provide better health care options with more choices for less cost." The SHOP Act's broad array of support includes the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Realtors and the Service Employees International Union (this is our Union). in an email from Barbara Asnes, head of Maine PASA Carol Regan from PHI wrote in response: Good idea. Snowe and Collins both engaged in different ways for Direct Care Workers.

AARP and Long-Term Care Study

Long-Term Care Workforce Unprepared to Handle Aging Population, AARP-Funded Report Finds AARP Endorses Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Health and Long-Term Care Workforce WASHINGTON – A new report today from the Institute of Medicine, funded in part by AARP, highlights the growing need for immediate action to improve and strengthen our health and long-term care workforce. Today, AARP is announcing its endorsement of bipartisan legislation that would help address the nation’s growing need to provide care for our aging population by encouraging training in geriatrics, gerontology and long-term care. “There are already 10 million Americans who need help with their daily activities, and that number will double by 2040,” said AARP President-Elect Jennie Chin Hansen. “Caregivers—whether they are geriatricians, home health nurses, social workers or home care aides—are going to become even more important to the health and long-term care workforce as the baby boomers age.” The bill, the “Caring for an Aging America Act of 2008” (S. 2708), is cosponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME). In addition to steering caregivers towards geriatric and long-term care roles, the legislation creates a Health and Long-Term Care Workforce Advisory Panel to analyze this critical sector and make recommendations to tackle its changing needs. Today’s report from the Institute of Medicine, “Retooling for an Aging America,” finds that today’s workforce will not be prepared to handle the aging population. In particular, it recommends expanding education, recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and other caregivers. It also recommends enhancing the competence of individuals in the provision of geriatric care, redesigning models of care and broadening provider and patient roles to achieve greater flexibility to meet this compelling and urgent need for quality care. “We know the problem, and we know how to begin to fix it,” Hansen said. “We’re proud to support Senators Boxer and Collins in their effort to help not only the people who need care, but also the 44 million family caregivers who are currently sacrificing so much to care for the ones they love. A larger and better prepared workforce is needed to provide crucial support and assistance for family caregivers who cannot do it alone.” AARP will submit testimony for Wednesday’s hearing on workforce and family caregiving in the Senate Special Committee on Aging. To receive a copy of the testimony, please contact AARP Media Relations. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit http://www.aarp.org to learn more about how you can make a difference. I received this in an email from PHI.

Supplemental Budget Enacted

The Maine Legislature has enacted a supplemental budget to close the $190 million hole in the state's $6.3 billion biennial budget. The supplemental budget was passed 84-55 in the House and 18-17 in the Senate. The vote was mostly along party lines with majority Democrats voting in favor of adoption. Both Republicans and Democrats agreed to a majority of the cuts contained in the supplemental budget. This included over $65 million in spending reductions in the Department of Health and Human Services. The two parties also agreed to partially restore some of the Governor's cuts to higher education, foster parent reimbursements, home care for the elderly, as well as domestic violence and sexual assault services. Opponents in the House voiced concern over the final budget package because it contained a tax change on struggling businesses and allowed the state treasurer to accelerate the sale of stocks that are being held by the state as unclaimed property, a plan which would bring in approximately $9 million. The majority budget also included a controversial reduction in the staff of the Legislature's government "watch-dog" agency, the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA). Republicans presented their own proposal that called for legislators and legislative employees to contribute 10 percent to their own health insurance premiums, which are currently fully covered by taxpayers. Their plan would also have accepted the Governor's proposal to limit Medicaid spending on non-disabled, childless adults and mandate three unpaid government holidays. They also proposed a 10 percent reduction for payments to candidates who apply to run as publicly-funded candidates during the 2008 election cycle. A number of amendments to the majority budget were presented, which were all voted down. These amendments included one that would reduce out-of-state legislative travel by $250,000 in order to put more money towards home-based health care. Others would have created a government efficiency commission to save $75 million in order to reduce the income tax, fully funded OPEGA and put more money towards road repairs. from an email from Representative Cotta April 7, 2008

Tax Credits could be worth Thousands to Direct Care Workers

I wish I had found this earlier, I would have posted it sooner. This I found on the PHI blog. If you’re a direct-care worker or you work with direct-care workers, you may want to help spread the word about the earned income tax credit (EITC). Direct-care workers who file a federal tax return this season could be eligible for thousands of dollars in state and federal credits and refunds, mainly through the federal EITC, which will return up to $4,716 per person to eligible low-income taxpayers. But as much as a quarter of all EITC funds go unclaimed each year because so many people don’t know they’re entitled to them. Direct-care workers who file a federal return may also be eligible for an EITC from their state or for one of the economic stimulus payments being made this year by the federal government. The economic stimulus payments will generally range from $300 to $600 for individuals and from $600 to $1,200 for joint filers, plus $300 for each qualifying child. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities website has a useful section on the national EITC. Its online toolkit includes a calculator to estimate how much of a return to expect and tips on how to get taxes prepared free of charge, how to file electronically to get your money back fast, and more.

KVO and 771 Working Together on Health Care Forum

Do you worry that you won’t be able to get good health care when you or your family needs it? Are you concerned that one illness or health problem could send you into financial ruin? Believe me, you’re not alone. Our union has been involved in efforts to get better health care benefits for direct care workers such as ourselves. And we aren’t alone. MSEA-SEIU 1989 is a member of the Kennebec Valley Organization (KVO), an organization of congregations, labor unions, and other central Maine groups working together to improve the quality of life in our communities. KVO joined with a statewide coalition to propose and fight for the “Health Care for Health Care Workers Bill” (LD 1687), which would have increased our access to health care benefits. Unfortunately, legislators didn’t see that as a top priority right now and it was defeated. We’re not giving up. Through April and May, we will hold small group meetings within all KVO member organizations, from Hallowell to Madison, to gather personal stories of health care, good and bad, and to clarify our values about who deserves access to quality health care. I thought a letter to members would be a great way to let you know about this campaign, and to ask you to help make it a success just by sharing your own story. KVO is gathering these stories to understand the real situation with health care in our state and country, and to build the power to improve it. I have included my own health care story as an example at the end of this post. What I am asking of 771 members is to share their health care stories -- of being with or without health care insurance, how having it or not has affected you, your family and your work, or anything else that comes to mind. You can send an email to helen.hnsn@gmail.com. After collecting these stories, KVO will hold a Health Care Forum in June to educate members on the current health care system and some of the common proposals for reform. In the Fall, we will hold an event where candidates for state and national offices are asked to hear these stories and to explain what they will do to improve health care for everyone. I will keep you all posted as the campaign continues, but in the meantime I hope that you will take just a few moments today to add your voice to this important effort. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Helen Hanson President, MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, Local 771 My Health Care Story My health care story is one of ups and downs. I had health insurance through my husband when he worked at Blue Seal Feeds. He left that job and started his own business. With that change, we now buy our own health insurance. Quite frankly, it is horrible. It is very expensive, $300 per month, with a high deductible of $10,000 per year per family member and only covers catastrophic care. Since November of 2007, I’ve been through multiple screenings for ovarian cancer. I am very grateful to say that I am cancer free! The down side, these screenings are not covered through my health insurance. They do not cover any diagnostic services. The bill is upwards of $3000.00. Now I am working with the providers on payment plans. I’ll be paying this off for a long time. I can’t afford to get sick.

Buckle Up . . .

Starting today, buckle up or risk a fine Portland Press Herald April 1, 2008 Changes in state law mean that failure to use seat belts can bring fines ranging from $50 to $250. By GLENN ADAMS, The Associated Press AUGUSTA — Maine has a seat belt law, but police have issued just warnings to violators since it was bolstered in September. As of today, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. Maine's Bureau of Highway Safety, its federal counterpart and other safety organizations have been getting the word out to drivers that the law changes as of today so first-time violators can get $50 tickets. Second violations can bring $125 fines, and third and subsequent offenses can lead to $250 fines. Since September, violators have gotten only warnings. Previously, motorists had to be pulled over for separate violations if they were to be cited for failing to use seat belts. Now, Maine becomes the 26th state with a primary safety belt law, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Under the law, the driver is responsible for making sure that passengers 18 and younger are secured in their belts. After age 18, passengers and drivers are responsible for themselves. As April arrives, the main message is not that police will be aggressively looking for non-belted drivers; instead, the state is emphasizing that seat belts save lives while preventing losses, estimated at $33 million per year, to taxpayers in medical expenses and lost productivity, said the bureau's director, Lauren Stewart. One reason taxpayers bear a financial burden is that they have to cover medical costs of MaineCare recipients. State figures show that those enrolled in the public health care program and uninsured motorists are more likely than others to not wear safety belts, officials say. The bureau estimates that the law will save 10 lives and prevent 155 serious injuries per year in Maine, based on an expected 10 or 11 percent increase in seat belt use, Stewart said. That would bring compliance in Maine, which just a few years ago had the nation's third-worst rate, up to 90 percent, Stewart said. The national average is 82 percent compliance. Douglas Bracy, president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association who has been at many an accident scene, puts the new law's effect in other terms. "In 30 years of law enforcement, I've seen what should have been minor accidents end up as tragedies," said Bracy, who is York's police chief. Bracy said motorists should be in the habit of buckling up, even for short trips. "Nobody goes out to get into an accident," he said. Officials also urge motorists not to be lulled into a false sense of safety because they are seated behind air bags. Air bags are designed to be most effective while safety belts are fastened, and may not deploy with the best effect if the motorist is unbelted, Bracy said. Some groups are harder to convince of the importance of wearing restraints. The hardest group to get to is male pickup truck drivers. ages 18-34, Stewart said. Next are teenagers, a group prone to risky behavior. Finally, people age 65 and over, who may have started driving before seat belts were widely used, simply have developed bad habits over the years. But there's another side to the picture. Young people have always been required and expected to use them. State officials say police will enforce the seat belt law as they would any other motor vehicle law during regular patrols. However, at key times through the year, they will participate in special enforcement efforts.

An Article of Interest . . .

Maine gets a two-day reprieve on Real ID law Portland Press Herald, April 1, 2008 Maine residents could be barred from using driver's licenses to board planes or enter federal buildings. By JONATHAN E. KAPLAN, Washington D.C. Correspondent The Department of Homeland Security avoided a showdown with Maine on Monday by giving the state two extra days to agree in principle to upgrade its driver's license. Unless the state uses the extension to show that it is complying with the federal Real ID law, however, Maine residents could be barred from using their driver's license to board commercial airliners and enter federal buildings. To avoid such restrictions, the state must either stop issuing licenses to illegal immigrants or make sure that a license expires on the same day as a person's visa, according to a copy of a letter that Stewart Baker, the Homeland Security assistant secretary for policy, sent to Gov. John Baldacci. Maine is one of six states that allow illegal immigrants to apply for licenses. Baker asked that Maine issue different licenses to illegal immigrants, check an applicant's legal status with Homeland Security and take a photograph as the first step in the process of issuing a license. He also asked Maine to employ facial recognition technology to ensure that one person cannot obtain multiple driver's licenses. Baldacci has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to respond. David Farmer, a spokesman for Baldacci, confirmed that the provisions had been the subject of talks with Homeland Security. He said the governor had not received formal notification by Monday evening. Earlier in the day, the Department of Homeland Security granted an extension to South Carolina, one of a few states, including Maine, with laws forbidding state participation in Real ID. Maine and South Carolina were the last holdouts. The potential crisis has been brewing for months. Congress passed the Real ID law in 2005. It requires states to upgrade their driver's licenses to prevent forgeries and make it harder for non-U.S. citizens to obtain them. But state and local officials and some U.S. lawmakers raised privacy concerns and charged that the law was an unfunded mandate. Seventeen states, including Maine, passed legislation opting out of the law and prohibiting state funds from being used to implement it. Once the level of opposition became clear, Homeland Security officials relented and allowed states to extend the deadline for compliance. But some states requested an extension while admitting to the agency that they would not comply with the law. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, pressed Baldacci to ask Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for an extension. She even sent Baldacci a letter last month telling him what to say in the letter. "I am hopeful that with these negotiations, Maine residents will avoid the tremendous inconvenience that would otherwise occur when they tried to use their driver's licenses for air travel beginning on May 12," Collins said Monday in a prepared statement. Last week, Baldacci sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security saying the state had upgraded its driver's licenses and complied with most of the agency's new rules. But he did not ask Chertoff to extend the March 31 deadline. "The biggest issue is on technical details of the issuance of our driver's licenses," said Farmer, the governor's spokesman. "Perhaps if we had asked for an extension, we would not have had to go into a level of detail. Since we did not, our processes are being vetted very carefully." "The governor's goal is to make sure that Maine people are not put through some unnecessary rigmarole" after May 11, Farmer said. Baldacci and his aides spent the weekend negotiating with Baker. Chertoff had been traveling in the Middle East and returned this weekend, said Laura Keehner, his spokeswoman. Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe, also a Republican, weighed in on the negotiations Monday when they returned to Washington after a two-week recess. Collins, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight over the Homeland Security Department, made contact with Baldacci and Chertoff on Monday afternoon, said her spokeswoman, Jen Burita. Maine's two Democratic congressmen have little interest in mediating a solution. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, who has proposed legislation to repeal the Real ID law, encouraged his former colleague in Congress, Baldacci, to stand firm against Chertoff. "I made the case that we ought to push back as hard as we can because what they're proposing is to coerce states," Allen said. "This kind of threat to require passports or similar identification from a particular state is not appropriate." Rep. Michael Michaud co-sponsored Allen's bill. -- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Budget Passed . . . Our Programs are Safe

In the news this morning, the State budget passed. With no new taxes and not getting into the State's Rainy Day Fund, it passed. Our programs and our jobs are safe. Check out the article in today's Kennebec Journal. http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4924153.html