Letters from Senator Raye

Hi Laurie,

From my conversations with members of the Appropriations Committee, I believe they are strongly inclined to accept our recommendation to restore domestic violence funding. The testimony at last week’s hearing was extremely compelling, and is still fresh in their minds.

It also makes a very strong statement that the HHS Committee was unanimous in rejecting the draconian cuts proposed by Governor Baldacci. We believe the Governor’s proposal would have devastated efforts to combat domestic violence and protect those who seek to escape it. That unanimous rejection – with Republicans and Democrats both voting to restore funding – is a powerful message to the Appropriations Committee.

I am at home in Washington County and in contact by phone with appropriators today. I will be returning to Augusta to check in with the Appropriations Committee on Sunday.

All the best,
Kevin



Hi Leslie,

Just wanted to update you on where things stand.

As the ranking Republican Senator on the Health and Human Services Committee, it became clear to me that Governor Baldacci’s proposed cuts to domestic violence programs were far too deep and would have a devastating impact on efforts to combat domestic violence and assist those who are victimized by it.

As a result, the HHS Committee voted unanimously to reject the Governor’s proposals in this area. I’m hopeful the Appropriations Committee will follow our lead.

All the best,
Kevin Raye

Senator Kevin L. Raye 63 Sunset Cove Lane Perry, Maine 04667 tel. 207-853-9406 (home) tel. 207-287-1505 (Augusta) SenatorRaye@wwsisp.com

Letter from Senator Collins

Dear Ms. Linder:

Thank you for contacting me on behalf of The Next Step Domestic Violence Project of Washington and Hancock Counties to share your support of increased funding for domestic violence programs such as those provided for by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund, and Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). I appreciate your taking the time to do so, and thank you for the invaluable services that you and your organization provide to victims of domestic violence in Maine.
Women should be able to live and work without fear, and I share your support for critical programs designed to assist victims of crime and to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. I was a cosponsor of VAWA III which was signed into law on January 5, 2006.
I am concerned that in addition to cutting funding to these programs, the President's fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget proposes consolidating all the VAWA programs through the Department of Justice budget into one competitive block grant. I do not think this is the best approach, and accordingly, in 2007 when the President also attempted to consolidate the programs, I wrote to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting that they fully fund VAWA, oppose the rescinding of the remaining VOCA Funds, and reject the President=s block-grant approach for VAWA programs. Similar letters in support of these programs are currently being drafted and will be circulated soon. I will send you a copy of these letters when they are available.
Again, thank you for contacting me. I will continue to advocate for programs designed to prevent violence against women.

To the Statehouse (again)

Well, it has been wild.

The Next Step, along with the eight other projects in the Maine Coaltion to End Domestic Violence (http://www.mcedv.org/) sent a donated schoolbus (thanks, Sumner!) full of activists to the appropriations committee hearings re: the TOTAL loss of state dv funds.

It was a long bus trip, even with our paralegal, Missy, baking great chocolate chip cookies. The heat was not on in the bus and most of us could not feel our toes by the time we got to the capitol.

Inside, we were told to put on name tags and collect "talking points" (little printed bits of info that we wanted the politicians to know about our services and why to keep them) -- then we were to proceed to the Hall of Flags and have a "rally" in the presence of our state rep.s.

Well, we got in the door and basically became bits of seaweed on top of a huge, angry ocean of protestors. We did manage to collect dv badges to wear, but there was no such thing as an orderly procession to anywhere. I can only describe the entire three plus floors of the State House as a slightly hippie-esque mosh pit. We were packed onto every floorspace so tight that people's badges were getting stuck to fellow protestor's backs, butts and legs from squeezing between point A and point B. Very few people even heard the rally, but everyone chanted and screamed a lot.

The Statehouse security guards were beside themselves (and so were they). Cops kept wading through us and the one near us kept yelling (to a distinctly gender-MIXED throng, might I add): "WE NEED A PATH! WE NEED A PATH HERE, LADIES...!" During the actual rally, security swam to the mike and announced that the crowds were a security risk and the building would be closed if some of us didn't go to an auxiliary building and listen through speakers. The crowd around the mike responded to his rather tactlessly churlish tone by chanting, "CLOSE IT DOWN! CLOSE IT DOWN!" But we fortunately avoided that. I was too packed in to notice, but apparently some people who were nearer to doors did go to the auxiliary building and avert the crisis.

Speeches were made, testimony was given, hands were shaken and politicians were rattled. Now it is breath-holding time. If you have not written to your state representatives about these dv cuts, it is not too late to do so.

MAINE CAN DO BETTER!

proposed TOTAL budget cuts for domestic violence in Maine

Well, we have had a bad month. Gov. Baldacci's change package re: balancing the Maine State budget included TOTAL state funding cuts for domestic violence...resulting in over 1 million dollars lost. The Next Step stands to lose over $200,000, which is over a third of our total yearly budget. This, even on its own, means office closures, lay-offs, and curtailment of survices. This state cut, if combined with federal threats to VAWA, VOCA, and other major funds for female crime victims, could be fatal to The Next Step.

Information about the public hearings for this change package will follow. If you are a Mainer, please understand that this is not rhetoric. Free services for victims of domestic violence in Maine are at serious risk. Please contact your state representatives immediately. http://www.maine.gov/ has a search base through which you can access information about your rep.s.

Please don't let this happen to Maine!