Maine Senate unanimously backs Sen. Duson bill to ensure equity and bring justice to retired Maine workers with disabilities

AUGUSTA – Last week, the Maine Senate and House unanimously supported a bill sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill C. Duson, D-Portland, that would return owed retirement contributions to retired State workers with disabilities. LD 1638, “An Act Regarding Disability Retirement Benefits Under the Maine Public Employees Retirement System,” would correct a longstanding issue that prevented certain retirees from receiving their full benefits.

“This bill is about righting a wrong and ensuring equity and justice for our state’s retired workers with disabilities who have worked hard and paid into their own retirement,” said Sen. Duson. “I am grateful to Ms. Susan Hawes, my constituent from Portland, for her continued advocacy on this issue and for working to help secure bipartisan cosponsors for this bill. Throughout my career in public service, I’ve fought for justice and accountability, and LD 1638 continues that mission by ensuring our seniors and their retirement contributions are respected and valued in full.”

In 1991, the Maine Legislature created the MainePERS Social Security disability offset as part of a large Worker’s Compensation reform bill. [This offset reduced benefits to well below the defined disability benefit amount of 59% of Annual Final Compensation] for a small group of MainePERS disabled retirees: those who worked in Social Security-covered public service jobs and fully paid into both Social Security and MainePERS.

“These [retired] public employees deserve the financial security insurance they and their employers, the taxpayers, paid for and they earned through work and who unfortunately now need their wages replaced due to disability,” said Susan Hawes of Portland in testimony to the Labor committee earlier this year. “Already suffering from life-altering medical conditions, these 51 disabled retirees deserve fairness and to be made whole by releasing their withheld disability benefits.”

Passage of LD 1638 would repeal the MainePERS Social Security offset and return unfairly withheld benefits to retired Maine workers. These retirees are currently being denied the full MainePERS disability benefit that they and their employers paid for through MainePERS’s Contributions Rates. Disabled retirees, vulnerable retirees and their families experience detrimental long-term consequences from the reduction in MainePERS disability benefits. These impacts transcend party lines, as evidenced by unanimous votes in the Senate and House.

LD 1638 faces additional votes in the House and Senate before going to the Governor’s desk.

Sen. Duson is serving her second term in the Maine Senate and represents Senate District 27, which includes part of Westbrook and part of Portland. She also serves as the Senate Assistant Majority Leader.