Rep. Hannah Pingree's Newsletter BACK IN SESSION...UPDATE FROM AUGUSTA January 23, 2006 Hello! Hope this finds you all well. I hope you got a chance to enjoy some unseasonably warm days of January before the cold returned. Another session in Augusta is in full swing and the fact that 2006 is another election year is more evident than ever. On the first day of session, the jockeying began immediately, as you probably read in the news. Democratic representative (and now gubernatorial candidate) Barbara Merrill announced that she would leave the Democratic caucus and become an Independent, throwing the balance of the House to a 50-50 split - with 73 Democrats, 73 Republicans, 4 Independents and 1 Green. As a member of the former (for the day) majority party, we spent the day debating how to share power and by the end of the day had drafted a power-sharing agreement. Just as the Speaker of the House was about to announce the agreement, one of the 4 independents stood to announce that she would rejoin the Democratic Party, returning the former balance of power. As reporter Mal Leary said to me, "I couldn't make this stuff up!" It was a good example of the sometimes highly political side of the State House. Despite my respect for the institution of the Legislature and my respect for a fair process, I couldn't help but love Bill Nemitz's Portland Press Herald article on the back and forth day - as he told the story from the comical perspective of an eighth grader. I am hoping the rest of the session is a bit more focused on policy and so far, for the most part, we are off to a good start. But still, you should read Nemitz's piece for a laugh at our expense! Despite this debacle, I saw a recent statistic that close to 80% of the work of the Legislature and our committees is done on a bi-partisan basis, and much of this work ends up coming from unanimous agreements. And while there will be a handful of issues that will turn into partisan battles this session (and those are certainly the ones the papers love to cover) many of the issues we'll focus on are common sense issues — on which I hope we can make progress. A good example of this was the unanimous passage on the first day of session of a significant state contribution to the LIHEAP program, which ensured the Federally-funded program remains viable, despite a loss of federal funding during this high-cost heating season. There are many other issues I hope we can make progress on this session. I have included more information below on a handful of the topics to be considered over the next few months, including a variety of education issues, the new federal Medicare Part D program, and several bills that may be of interest including the supplemental budget, a bill for medical transportation on the state ferries, and state energy policy. In addition, find information in this newsletter on two upcoming conferences specifically for islanders and coastal folks on small business and year-round housing issues. Both look useful and informative! As always, keep in touch. Let me know what your thoughts are on issues we are considering in Augusta and always feel free to send questions and comments. All the best, Hannah SEE IN THIS ISSUE: ** EDUCATION ISSUES & PROPOSALS IN 2006 ** MEDICARE PART D - ONGOING STRUGGLE...MAY 15 DEADLINE ** INTERESTING BILLS TO FOLLOW: - STATE FERRY SERVICE BILL ON MEDICAL TRIPS THIS TUESDAY - ENERGY BILL - BUDGET BILL ** UPCOMING CONFERENCES THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST: - SMALL BUSINESS FORUM IN ROCKLAND FOR ISLANDERS - SAVE THE DATE: AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE IN BELFAST ** REMINDER: PROPERTY TAX REFUND DEADLINE & DIRIGO OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD --------------------- ** EDUCATION ISSUES & PROPOSALS IN 2006 Education reforms and funding are likely to be a hot topic this legislative session with several proposals on the table recently announced in the Governor's State of the State, a somewhat radical proposal to consolidate Maine's school districts (one per county was one suggestion) being floated, the ongoing consideration of significant changes to the CDS program, as well as specific town-by-town funding debates, and the SAT testing controversy (whether the SAT should have been introduced as the new 11th grade assessment instead of the MEA). Most promising for our small island and rural schools could be the Governor's announcement to add an additional $3 million dollars for high performing small schools. The full details are yet to be released, but this kind of talk of support of quality small schools is a significant departure from the talk of two years ago when the focus was primarily on consolidation and negativity about small schools. Other education announcements from the Governor’s State of the State address included: - Support for legislation to provide property tax relief as LD1 is fully implemented to require that 90 percent of that full funding be returned directly to Maine taxpayers in the form of lower property taxes. - Restoration of $1 million for the Fund for Efficient Delivery of Educational Services. - A budget that proposes raising starting teacher salaries to $30,000 starting next year. - A moratorium on our current local assessment to reduce the amount of testing and requirements on students and teachers. Read the full text of the Governor's state of the state here.   There is also likely to be extensive debate on school funding again this year, as the new education formula leaves some schools in good shape, and greatly reduces the state funding for others. There are several island and coastal school districts particularly hard hit due to the way debt service is funded. We are hopeful that we will find a long-term fix for these issues and/or continued funds to transition districts (ensuring no district gets less than they do this year). On the SAT debate, this past fall the Department of Education surprised many schools by replacing the 11th grade MEA test with the SAT. There are several bills presented before the legislature to reverse this decision. Lastly, the debate over the funding of CDS and where CDS (Child Development Services) programs should live, and from where they should be managed - the options include independent agencies, which is the current practice, in DHHS, or within specific school districts. A comprehensive review is currently underway and likely to be released soon to the legislature for consideration. Will keep you updated as to how these many debates and initiatives pan out. As always, would love to hear your comments and thoughts. ** MEDICARE PART D - ONGOING STRUGGLE...MAY 15th DEADLINE The federally mandated transition from state programs like the Drugs for the Elderly Program and Maine RX to the new Medicare Part D program has been a rocky one for many of Maine's seniors and disabled - especially those low income seniors who were on MaineCare and Medicare. As a member of and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, our committee spent much of the past year preparing for this transition and trying to anticipate the changes and ensure the state could assist seniors in the best way possible. We couldn't have begun to imagine the kinds of serious issues that would occur for some seniors and pharmacists during the start up of this program. In the first few weeks of January, many enrolled seniors were told they weren't enrolled in the new program's records or asked to pay significant costs, when they should have paid only minimal co-pays - leaving many with no choice but to go without their drugs. As a stop-gap measure the state stepped in to pay for drugs seniors had been previously receiving, until the federal program was sorted out. This initial measure was costing the state $500,000 a day. While the daily costs have started to decline, they are still significant and concerning. We are told the federal government should have most enrollment problems fixed by the end of the month at the state level. We will wait and see. In the meantime, we are trying to assist the disabled and seniors in getting those drugs they most desperately need. For Maine seniors who haven't enrolled yet, please keep in mind that if you don't enroll by May 15 of this year, your premium cost for the Part D benefit (should you decide to enroll in the future) will go up at least 1% per month for every month you wait to join. While this messy start-up has likely scared many seniors away, do keep this important deadline in mind. The federal benefit will offer real relief to many seniors who previously had no coverage. It is hard to estimate when someone will get sick and when someone may need the support of expensive or numerous drugs. The choice is of course, yours, but it is probably realistic to advise most seniors (who don't have coverage through an employer) that they should sign up by May 15th. The Federal Medicare site has been improved with both online enrollment options and a drug plan finder tool at: http://www.medicare.gov/ Read my recent column on Part D transition in the Bangor Daily News. ** INTERESTING BILLS: There are a a few proposed pieces of legislation this session with specific island impact, and of course many bills that may be of general interest. Following are a few. If you are interested in testifying, any member of the public is welcome to do so. Comments from the public are often highly influential when it comes to the consideration of bills. For a guide on testifying before the legislature go here. FERRY BILL ON MEDICAL TRIPS: This bill allows residents of the island communities served by the Maine State Ferry Service free transportation services when traveling to and from regularly scheduled, medically necessary appointments with medical care providers on the mainland if these appointments pertain to a catastrophic illness. Tue Jan 24, 2006, 1:00 pm in the Transportation Committee Room (Room 126 of the State House) To read the full text go here. ENERGY BILL: There is widespread interest in energy efficiency and conservation this year during this time of increasing energy costs, and a rising focus on the need for a more aggressive national and state energy policy. The bill with the most momentum so far is LD 1931. It does a number of different things including: - Increasing the efficiency of Maine school buildings by creating benchmarks, incentives, and more training for facility managers - It expands the funding for the conservation programs established by the Public Utilities Commission, known as "Efficiency Maine" - It requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop a new compensation method for transmission and distribution utilities that is not tied to the amount of electricity consumed. - It requires the Public Utilities Commission to seek a waiver from the federal Department of Energy for energy standards for residential furnaces and boilers. The commission is required to develop new standards for furnaces and boilers based on standards developed in other New England states. To track this bill, read its full text, or follow the public hearing schedule (it is not yet scheduled for hearing) go here. BUDGET BILL: There is always significant focus on the state budget. While we are not considering the full 2-year budget (that was passed during last year's session) we will be considering a supplemental budget with a variety of spending, savings, and long-term stability measures. The budget hearings will begin on January 30th and are scheduled to occur for a week. The schedule is posted here. To learn more about the state budget process, the Office of Fiscal Program and Review has some good data here. You can check out the state supplemental budget online here. Or, you can listen to the hearings online. ** UPCOMING CONFERENCES THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST: * ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS FORUM IN ROCKLAND: The Island Institute is hosting an Island Small Business Forum on Wednesday, February 8 from 10 am - 3 pm at the Island Institute in Rockland. Lunch is included and there's no registration fee. Topics will include: how to access training and business assistance, how to use new technologies to enhance profitability, how small communities 'plug the leaks' in their local economies. This forum is co-sponsored by Maine's Small Business Development Centers and the Sunrise County Economic Council. If you'd like more specifics on the forum or to register (please pre-register by Jan 30) contact Island Institute Fellow Jeremy Gabrielson at 225-6794 or jgabrielson@islandinstitute.org * AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE IN BELFAST: Save the Date for an Island Affordable Housing Symposium on Friday evening April 28 and Saturday April 29, 2006. The Symposium will take place in Belfast, Maine at the Hutchinson Center. Affordable housing on Maine's unbridged and bridged islands is the focus of the Symposium, so sessions will reflect this as much as possible. Some sessions will focus on replicable real-life success stories, while others will give islanders information they need to develop successful housing projects. Participants will return to their islands with tools to move their projects forward. Topics will include: Long-term Affordability; Governance (how to set up non-profit, Housing Authority, or Community Land Trust); Financing Affordable Housing; and Land Conservation and Affordable Housing. We are pleased to announce that John Abrams of South Mountain Company on Martha's Vineyard will be our keynote speaker on Friday night. He will join us on Saturday as well to learn more about Maine island affordable housing and to talk with all of you. He has spearheaded a number of unique affordable housing initiatives on Martha's Vineyard and has experience with the same issues Maine islands face. South Mountain is a worker-owned building company whose owners feel a deep sense of place and commitment to their island. Islanders from Islesboro, Peaks, Vinalhaven, MDI, and Isle au Haut have participated in the planning, as well as staff from Island Institute, MDI and Ellsworth Housing Authorities, Genesis Community Loan Fund, and Maine Cooperative Extension. We are working to make this symposium affordable to attend. For more information: alyson_mayo@antiochne.edu (I will also send out more information on the conference as it becomes available.) ** PROPERTY TAX REFUND DEADLINE & DIRIGO OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD YOU CAN STILL APPLY TO RECEIVE A REFUND ON YOUR 2005 PROPERTY TAXES: I continue to harp on this one - but one of the accomplishments of the past year I am most proud of is the reform of the Maine Property Tax and Rent Program, which has expanded the refund to cover more Mainers who are paying too much of their income on property taxes. In addition, the program will now give double the refund to many Mainers most at risk of losing their home to high taxes. The deadline for a refund for 2005 taxes is May 31, 2006. If you believe you are paying too much of your family income in property taxes, you may be eligible. Applications can be submitted online or you can call Maine Revenue Services to get an application. To find out more about this program or apply go to: www.state.me.us/revenue/taxrelief/tnr.htm or call 624-7894. DIRIGO OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, INDIVIDUALS, & SOLE PROPS The rhetoric on both sides of the aisle continues to run high (again in this election year!) over Dirigo Health. Despite the politics in Augusta, Dirigo's insurance product (offered through Anthem, with discounts offered based on ability to pay through the state) could make sense for your business, family or employees. I have had many businesses and individuals sign up throughout my district with varying results. One small business owner recently told me it was the best insurance he had ever had and the price was competitive. Another middle-income woman who is self-employed commented that the discount program, based on her ability to pay, was working for her and was far more affordable than she had anticipated. I have also gotten some feedback from people who haven't found the product affordable, as they were not eligible for any of the discounts. The good news is there is currently an effort underway to offer another lower cost option under the Dirigo program. Dirigo may or may not be right for you, but if you are in need of health insurance find out more here. Be sure to check out the discount estimator to see what level of discount you might be eligible for. And call Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield at 1-800-409-7520 (1-888-671-4333 TTY) for an application. Remember that Anthem offers the insurance and the state provides the discounts. Some people have gotten quotes from Anthem that sounded too high without taking into account that they might be eligible for a discount off the full cost from the Dirigo program.