AUGUSTA, Maine — Prolonged efforts by Gov. Paul LePage to eliminate General Assistance benefits for asylum seekers and other immigrants took a major hit Thursday night when the Senate voted in favor of a bill to provide the benefits for up to 24 months.
The Senate also passed a separate bill to crack down on the abuse of welfare benefits.
The lopsided 29-5 vote on and amendment to the General Assistance bill follows months of campaigning, led by LePage, for measures that would eliminate the possibility of General Assistance for asylum seekers and other immigrants. Whether that vote holds when the bill comes back to the Senate is in question.
Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, said Friday morning that the bill is unlikely to win final passage on an upcoming enactment vote.
The bill, LD 369, was amended on the Senate floor Thursday night by Republican Sen. Amy Volk of Scarborough. The amendment allows a person who is lawfully present in the United States or who is pursuing a lawful process to apply for permanent residency to qualify for General Assistance for up to 24 months. General Assistance is a cash benefit that helps the needy with basic living expenses.
Volk attempted to amend this concept into the biennial state budget Tuesday night but that amendment failed. But the amendment as passed Thursday in the Senate represents a compromise by Republicans and Democrats on the issue. While it would put a cap on receipt of the benefits, which is generally a Republican goal, it would avoid having the benefits end at the conclusion of this fiscal year on June 30, which has been feared by Democrats.
Proponents of the measure have argued that for some immigrants, particularly asylum seekers, the assistance is crucial for bridging the gap between their arriving in the U.S. and attaining permanent residency. Asylum seekers, who often flee detention, rape, torture and other forms of persecution in foreign countries, are not allowed work permits during that period.
In Portland, where the majority of the affected people live, some estimates were that up to 1,000 people would lose their benefits at the end of this month.
“Right now, we have a solution to this crisis that our state is going to be facing in a matter of weeks,” Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond, D-Portland, said. “Today, we did something together that will help our future and our economy.”
The only senators voting against the bill were Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn; Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting; Sen. Scott Cyrway, R-Benton; Sen. Mike Willette, R-Presque Isle; and Sen. Peter Edgecomb, R-Caribou.
The next stop for the amended bill is the House of Representatives.
Also passing through the Senate on Thursday evening was LD 1375, another welfare reform bill that has had mostly Republican support. Sponsored by Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, the bill would restrict the use of welfare benefits as follows:
— Prohibit the use of welfare benefits for tobacco, liquor, gambling, lottery, tattoos and bail;
— Prohibit the use of electronic benefit transfer cards — which are essentially debit cards that are loaded with state and federal social services funds — outside Maine;
— Add a work search requirement for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, if they are capable of working;
— Impose penalties, including the termination of benefits, for abusers.
“For years, Maine citizens have told us the state’s welfare system is broken,” Thibodeau said. “It is broken because it is not helping people move toward self-sufficiency at the rate it should. This bill takes enormous strides toward that goal.”
Voting against LD 1375 were Alfond; Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick; Sen. Anne Haskell, D-Portland; Sen. Christopher Johnson, D-Somerville; and Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-South Portland.
The bill now goes to the House.
