Sen. Daughtry, Rep. Cloutier visit Bangor, Bar Harbor on Paid Family and Medical Leave tour

Posted: April 12, 2023 | Senator Daughtry

More than 100 medical professions have signed an open letter supporting PFML for Maine

(From left:) Sen. Mattie Daughtry, Michael McKernan with Jackson Laboratory, Rep. Kristen Cloutier, Luann Ballesteros with Jackson Laboratory
(From left:) Sen. Mattie Daughtry, Michael McKernan with Jackson Laboratory, Rep. Kristen Cloutier, Luann Ballesteros with Jackson Laboratory

AUGUSTA – On Monday, Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, and Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston, hosted a roundtable discussion on Paid Family and Medical Leave at Jackson Lab with Ellsworth-area business leaders. The event was part of a statewide tour to expand support and receive feedback for a proposed Paid Family and Medical Leave Plan. Sen. Daughtry and Rep. Cloutier co-chaired the Commission to Develop a Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program. 

“Paid Family and Medical Leave is an issue I’ve been working on since I was first elected to the Legislature. As a young woman and a small-business owner, I know how important it is to create a plan that’s by Mainers, for Mainers,” said Sen. Daughtry. “That’s why Rep. Cloutier and I were so eager to visit and speak with people from all over the state, to make sure we didn’t leave anyone behind or leave out anyone’s perspective.” 

“Our goal is to create a Paid Family and Medical Leave program that’s tailored to Maine,” said Rep. Cloutier. “We’re committed to crafting a policy that supports all of our state’s businesses and workers. Hearing directly from Mainers across the state about what would work best for them is an important piece of that process and will allow us to create the best plan possible.”

Prior to the Bar Harbor event, Sen. Daughtry joined a press conference in Bangor celebrating a recently released open letter signed by over 100 health care providers, including doctors and nurses, calling for the establishment of a paid family leave policy. “As health professionals, we swore an oath to take care of our patients: aiding them when they’re sick, alleviating pain where we can, and promoting good health. The current system of unpaid leave creates undue stress and burden on patients seeking care as well as their loved ones who often act as caretakers,” the letter states. “This is why we support the creation of a Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Maine.” The event was hosted by Mainers For Working Families. Sen. Daughtry was joined by Dr. Noah Nesin, Chief Medical Officer of Penobscot Community Health Center, and Evan LeBrun, executive director of Mainers For Working Families.

Sen. Daughtry and Rep. Cloutier are sponsoring a bill that would create a statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave plan for Maine. Language for the bill is still being drafted.