AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Thursday that aims to keep Maine Veterans' Homes open in Caribou and Machias, officials say.
A news release from the governor's office stated Mills proposed $3.5 million in her budget to support this bill. Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Aroostook, sponsored the legislation.
That money, part of Mills' budget change package, is still being considered by the Legislature, according to the release.
"LD 2001 ... makes clear the intent of the Legislature in the creation of the Maine Veterans' Homes, lays out a public and transparent closure process that requires legislative approval, and puts back into statute the six municipalities where Maine Veterans' Homes must be located," the release stated.
Also in the release, Mills issued a statement that reads as follows:
"I am proud to sign this bill into law. Our promise to Maine veterans is that we will stand by them, just as they stood by us in their service to our state and our nation. The veterans who live in the Caribou and Machias homes, along with their families and the hardworking, compassionate staff, all deserve for these facilities to stay open. I thank Sen. Jackson for sponsoring this important measure, which I am funding through my budget proposal, and I thank the Legislature for their unanimous support — a clear testament to Maine's unwavering support of our veterans."
"The Maine Veterans’ Homes Board of Trustees will meet soon to discuss all factors associated with our Machias and Caribou Homes, including LD 2001," Christine Henson, spokesperson for the Maine Veterans Homes, wrote in an email Thursday to NEWS CENTER Maine.
The planned closure of the two locations was announced on Feb. 24 through a news release issued by the Maine Veterans' Homes Board of Trustees. They cited escalating operational losses and the "growing scarcity of qualified workforce" among the factors that led to the decision.
Since the announcement, Maine lawmakers have worked to keep the facilities open in the two rural communities, often based in increased funding initiatives.
One of those initiatives was announced March 15, when Mills proposed dedicating $3.5 million. Henson told NEWS CENTER Maine that day that the funding proposal was a step in the right direction but emphasized that funding was only one part that factored into the decision to close the two locations.
For more information on the homes and the history of their planned closure, click here.