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	Podcast:		Maine Things Considered
	Episode:		Voters to Decide Fate of Proposal to Help Elderly and Disabled Mainers With Daily Activities
	Category:		Government & Organizations
	Duration:
	Publish Date:		2018-04-13 14:05:14
	Description:		Maine voters will decide on an initiative that would provide elderly and disabled people help with daily activities, like bathing and medication management. The Maine Senate Friday voted to hold a public hearing on the measure first, but the House chose to send the issue directly to the public. Most Senators argued that a public hearing would help to educate the public about the issue they will vote on, but others argued that a campaign before the election would serve that same purpose, and that voters will be educated by the campaign in the fall. Sen. Justin Chenette, a Democrat from Saco, opposed a public hearing. “We are told if we don’t send this to committee, we are somehow stifling discussion and debate. Last time I checked, it’s called a campaign,” Chenette says. The initiative would create a new 3.8 percent tax on income above the social security tax threshold of $128,400 a year. The tax would fall equally on employers and workers. That big an increase in taxes deserves a
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