Supplemental budget battle could have devastating implications for thousands of Maine families
By Jim Keithley
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FRYEBURG, Maine (WMTW) — If the Maine Legislature fails to pass a supplemental budget, critical funds that support the state’s most vulnerable people could be capped or paused.
John and Jan Hanson, of Fryeburg, said they feel like they are “living on a knife’s edge” as they worry about their 46-year-old son, who lives in an Auburn group home.
The couple’s son, Jess Hanson, was born with intellectual and developmental disabilities. John and Jan said if this supplemental budget doesn’t pass, the group home could face financial strain and could be forced to close.
The Hansons said if their son was forced to live at home, they would fear for his safety and their own.
“He has no self-control. He can turn instantly. He’s not doing it on purpose. It’s just the way he is, and for us to handle him physically, if we had to restrain him, I don’t think we could do that,” said John Hanson.
For 25 years, Jess Hanson has been living in a John F. Murphy group home. The organization oversees 35 group homes in the Lewiston-Auburn area and relies on both state and federal funds to stay open.
The CEO of John F. Murphy Homes, Todd Goodwin, said that families need to reach out to their elected officials and urge them to pass the budget.
The Hansons said their son is well-adjusted where he is and is getting the care he needs from the professional staff. The couple does not know what they would do if the program was cut and forced to close its doors.
“He needs the care. They do an excellent job of caring for him. They know how to use their strategies to keep him safe, keep him happy,” John Hanson said.
Jan Hanson said she is imploring Maine lawmakers to make the right decision.
“These folks matter, and they need to be taken care of,” she said. “The government needs some empathy for not just this population, but also the elderly and children. The most vulnerable people in our population need to be considered as a priority.”
John Hanson said he is frustrated with another round of potential cuts that would upend his family.
“It’s not about just petty politics, it’s about people,” he said.
The state’s supplemental budget is only the latest hurdle for the Hansons, who have been married for 53 years. The couple said they have already been put on notice that another action alert will go out soon, as they worry about federal funding and cuts to Medicaid.
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