November 2018 Maine Question 1

Question 1: Citizen Initiative

An Act To Establish Universal Home Care for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 235,679 37.14% No 398,819 62.86%
Office of the Secretary of State of Maine

Elections in Maine
Federal offices U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 Dem 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1820 1821 1823 1823 1827 1829 sp 1835 1835 sp 1837 sp 1839 1840 1843 sp 1846 1848 sp 1851 1854 sp 1857 1857 sp 1859 1861 sp 1863 1865 sp 1869 1870 sp 1875 1877 1877 sp 1880 1881 1881 sp 1883 1887 1889 1893 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1912 sp 1913 1916 1916 sp 1918 1922 1924 1926 sp 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 1820–1821 1822 sp 2nd 1823 1824–1825 1826–1827 1826 sp 5th 1827 sp 1st 1828–1830 1830 1833 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1860 sp 5th 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1881 sp 2nd 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1897 sp 3rd 1898 1899 sp 1st 1899 sp 2nd 1900 1901 sp 4th 1902 1904 1906 1908 1908 sp 2nd 1908 sp 4th 1910 1912 1913 sp 3rd 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1940 sp 2nd 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 sp 3rd 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government Gubernatorial elections 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 State Senate elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 State House elections 2016 2018 2020 2022
Ballot measures People's vetoes 2009 Question 1 2011 Question 1 2018 Question 1 (Jun) 2020 Question 1 Citizen initiated referendums 2012 Question 1 2014 Question 1 2015 Question 1 2016 Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 2017 Question 1 Question 2 2018 Question 1 (Nov) 2021 Question 1 2023 Question 1 Constitutional amendments 2021 Question 3 Legislatively referred referendums 2024 Question 5
City of Portland Mayoral elections 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

Maine Question 1 is a citizen-initiated referendum that appeared on the November 6, 2018 statewide ballot. It sought to implement a tax on higher incomes in Maine to fund in-home health care services for elderly and disabled Mainers, as well as to create a government board to administer the funds. The vote coincided with general elections for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Maine Legislature, and other local elections. It qualified for the ballot due to supporters collecting signatures from registered Maine voters. It was defeated 62.86% to 37.14%.[1]

Supporters, led by the Maine People's Alliance, worked to place their proposal to increase access to home health care in Maine, in response to what they state is the fact that home health care workers have been overworked and underpaid for years. They note that wealthy Mainers have had three income tax reductions in the prior six years, and now pay a lower effective tax rate than most Mainers, while little has been done for home health care workers by the Legislature.^[1]

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap approved the wording of Question 1 on June 25, 2018. The question that will appear on the ballot is: "Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to provide home-based assistance to people with disabilities and senior citizens, regardless of income, funded by a new 3.8 percent tax on individuals and families with Maine wage and adjusted gross income above the amount subject to Social Security taxes, which is $128,400 in 2018?^[2] This tax is estimated to bring in $310 million a year. The proposal creates a nine member board called the Universal Home Care Trust Fund Board that would administer the funds. Its initial members would be chosen by the Governor, Maine Senate President, and Speaker of the Maine House, who would each choose three to serve a three year term. Subsequent members would be chosen in elections by home health care workers and patients.^[1]

Opponents have raised concerns that the proposal is unconstitutional. Former Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Daniel Wathen has said the proposal is "deeply unconstitutional in many respects".^[2] Opponents also claim the proposal is a "trojan horse" to implement pro-labor union policies in the home health care field, as the proposal classifies home health care workers as state employees for purposes of collective bargaining. Opponents are further concerned that the additional tax will drive high-paid professionals from Maine. Supporters respond to the pro-labor claims of the proposal by conceding that language in the bill is meant to encourage, but not require, union membership, in order to improve working conditions and pay.^[1]

• Caring Across Generations^[3]
• Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness^[3]
• Center for Medicare Advocacy^[3]
• Common Defense^[3]
• Justice in Aging^[3]
• Maine AFL-CIO^[3]
• Maine Alliance for Retired Americans^[3]
• Maine Council of Churches^[3]
• Maine Direct Care Alliance^[3]
• Maine Education Association^[3]
• Maine People's Alliance^[1]
• Maine Small Business Coalition^[3]
• National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care^[3]
• Paraprofessional Health Institute^[3]
• Well Spouse Association^[3]

• Maine State Chamber of Commerce^[1]
• Maine Hospital Association^[1]
• Maine Home Care & Hospice Alliance^[1]
• Alan Caron, businessman and independent candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018^[4][5]
• Terry Hayes, Maine State Treasurer and independent candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018^[4]
• Janet Mills, Maine Attorney General and Democratic nominee for Governor of Maine in 2018^[4]
• Shawn Moody, businessman and Republican nominee for Governor of Maine in 2018^[4]
• Bangor Daily News^[6]
• MaineToday Media newspapers; Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, Portland Press Herald^[7]

• Home Care for All, supporters of the initiative
• Stop the Scam Maine, opponents of the initiative