AUGUSTA – Rep. Michele Meyer, D-Eliot, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would increase funding for domestic violence
response and prevention services in Maine.
LD 875 would provide an additional $4 million in funding annually to Maine’s network of eight regional domestic violence resource centers.
“No Mainer, no child, no family should live in fear of violence. Maine’s domestic violence resource centers truly save lives by providing support, shelter, crisis intervention and much more for survivors,” said Meyer. “I know firsthand how life-changing these essential services are. It is up to us in the Legislature to ensure we are prioritizing domestic violence prevention and support services with adequate ongoing funding.”
Members of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee heard from Maine’s regional domestic violence resource center staff and survivors of abuse who said the proposed funding is critical to providing a lifeline to victims and their families.
“For 15 years, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of domestic violence and the urgent need for organizations like Safe Voices and the network of domestic violence resource centers across Maine to be here to answer the call. And for 15 years, I have answered the call and sat with survivors who have come to me feeling lost and scared. I have helped them create a safety plan and helped them find hope, but over the last several years, answering that call has become harder and harder,” said Rebecca Austin, executive director of Safe Voices, the resource center that serves Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties.
“In the last several years, calls to Safe Voices helpline have increased by 157%, but our funding has remained flat. This is simply unsustainable,” Austin said.
According to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, domestic violence resource centers served nearly 15,000 people statewide in 2024. Of those individuals, nearly half had at least one child living in their home.
Domestic violence resource centers provide a wide range of direct services to victims, including safety planning, emergency shelter, support navigating the court system, and more.
The Health and Human Services Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks. At that time, members of the committee will have the opportunity to suggest amendments before voting on a recommendation to the full Legislature.
Meyer is serving her fourth term in the Maine House and is House chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. She represents Eliot and parts of both Kittery and South Berwick.
The statewide domestic violence helpline is available 24/7 by calling 1-866-834-HELP (4357). More information on domestic violence resource services is available online at www.mcedv.org/get-help.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Meyer) | 305-965-2744