Forwarded Action Alert: Ask Approps to fund LD 1666 & LD 2166

Forwarded Action Alert from Maine Disability Alerts & SUFU:

Please see call to action below from Speaking Up For Us (Maine's organization by and of people with disabilities).
 
They are asking you to contact Appropriations Committee members to ask them to support LD 1666 (SSI reform: achieve real marriage equality for people with disabilities and update state supplement to SSI payments for the first time in 50 years) and LD 2166 (creating inclusive post-secondary education pilots for Mainers with intellectual or developmental disabilities or autism).

• LD 1666 deals with Maine's State Supplement to people with disabilities receiving SSI. Current payments are $10/month for a single person, $15/month for a married couple. The bill would:
  • Eliminate the marriage penalty, so that the payment to a married couple would be the same as the payment to two single people. Current Mainers with disabilities are avoiding marriage because of this penalty, and those who have married have seen their benefits reduced. This would be remedied by LD 1666 (at minimal cost to the state general fund-- less than $10k/year).
  • Update State Supplement to SSI payments, which haven't changed since the mid-1970s (currently the bill on the Table would increase this from $10/month to $65/month)
• LD 2166 would create a grant program for Maine institutions of higher education to create inclusive post-secondary education programs for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities or autism. This would position Maine to better compete for federal grants that promote job-focused inclusive higher education. This could include non-degree programs that also lead to better job outcomes and give participants access to federal financial aid for such programs. This is a nationwide movement in which Maine has, to date, not participated.

LD 1666 and LD 2166 were both unanimously supported in their committees. But each needs funding in order to be enacted.  
 
Contact info for Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Members:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]