AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The Maine House of Representatives on Wednesday again was unable to reach agreement on a plan to extend the current legislative session in order to complete work on a number of significant issues.
As a result, the full legislature had to vote for final adjournment, and hope to find a compromise and come back in a special session.
The House and Senate did vote on 20 vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, overriding 13 of them, including the veto of the marijuana legalization bill. That bill now becomes law.
When the veto votes were done, Democrats and Republicans in the House were still unable to agree on extending the session.
Among the bills hanging in legislative limbo are two that would continue pay raises for several thousand direct care workers, people who help the elderly and those with developmental disabilities. Close to 100 parents, children and care providers packed the halls of the State House Wednesday morning to pressure lawmakers to complete work on those bills.
The 12 percent raises came last year and increased direct care worker pay to a little above minimum wage, according to one care provider. But parents and providers said if the two bills aren’t passed, the pay will drop back to the old, lower rate. Parents, like Lisa Wesel of Bowdoinham, said they’re worried that would drive a lot of the workers away, and their children would be left without services they need.
"All the people who work with my daughter are the direct service providers whose salaries are affected by this bill," she said. "If they don’t fund this, the salary will revert to $9.17 an hour, which is below minimum wage."
Heidi Mansir of Uplift, Inc., who employs direct card workers, said she worries workers could leave if the pay is reduced.
"Yes, I lose people now, and I’m worried about what will happen if this doesn’t pass," she said.
House GOP leader Ken Fredette said Wednesday night he was confident those workers' raises will get passed and funded. But Democratic leaders were making no predictions, instead blaming Republicans for causing the problems and obstructing the work of the Legislature.