Universal Coverage, Domestic Benefits Bills Passed by Maine House
The Maine House recently approved legislation (LD 1277) to create a universal health care system, but amid concerns about cost, it "soundly rejected a proposal to pay for the health program with new gross receipts and compensating use taxes," the AP/Foster's Daily Democrat reports. Under the universal coverage program, which passed by an 80-58 vote and is expected to cost $3.4 billion per year, the state would establish an Agency of Health Security to administer health insurance to all residents, who would choose their own providers; the agency would pay for their treatment. The defeated tax measure would have begun in "mid-2002 at 1% of gross receipts on the value of property or services and gradually rise to 6%," the AP/Daily Democrat reports. Discussing the universal plan, Rep. Kevin Glynn (R) said, "In order to pay for it, we will have to double every tax and fee in the state, and we'll be $1.6 billion short." But the measure's sponsor, Rep. Paul Volenik (D), said that action on the state level was needed because the federal government does not help the uninsured. He added that the program would make Maine a "beacon for the rest of the states to follow." The bill, which Gov. Angus King (I) opposes, now moves to the state Senate (AP/Foster's Daily Democrat, 5/23).
Domestic Benefits Bill Passed
In other Maine news, the House on May 22 voted 91-49 to approve a bill (LD 1703) requiring health insurers that cover spouses of policy holders to also cover domestic partners, the AP/Foster's Daily Democrat reports. Under the legislation, domestic partners would be defined as those "jointly responsible ... for each other's common welfare as evidenced by joint living arrangements, joint financial arrangements or joint ownership of real or personal property." Opponents of the measure, saying that it "would contribute to a devaluation of marriage," have begun preparing for a possible state "defense of marriage" referendum seeking to overturn the bill should it become law (Quinn, AP/Foster Daily's Democrat, 5/23).
