Advocates urge lawmakers to offer pay raises to direct care workers

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau joined advocates Thursday in urging his legislative colleagues to set aside money for cost-of-living adjustments for direct care workers.

With the state facing a Medicaid funding shortfall , Democratic Gov. Janet Mills proposed eliminating a planned 3.5% cost-of-living adjustment , or COLA, for direct care personnel who work in nursing homes, group homes and other healthcare settings. The change would have saved an estimated $84 million.

In the spring, the Democratic-controlled Legislature included a 1.95% pay increase for direct care workers in a baseline budget for the coming two years. But legislative budget writers are now working on a second budget plan that is expected to be presented to the full Legislature in the next two weeks. And advocate