Sen. Vitelli introduces bill to expand, fund Permanent Commission on the Status of Women

AUGUSTA — On Friday, Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, introduced a bill to expand membership of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women to be more inclusive, and provide financial support. LD 794, “An Act to Expand the Membership of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee.

“Over a decade ago, the 125th Legislature created the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. Shortly after its creation, then-Gov. Baldacci appointed me to chair the Commission. WE had the responsibility to ‘promote, carry out, and coordinate programs designed to improve opportunities for women in the state.’ We also had to submit a report to the Legislature. However, there was not a funding mechanism to support the Commission’s work,” said Sen. Vitelli. “Commission members and others donated their skills and time in research, data analysis, writing, graphic design and print shop. While I am grateful for the people who helped the Commission do its work, the Legislature can – and should – support this critical work.”

LD 794 would increases the membership of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women from 17 members to 19 members and requires that the Governor appoint the 2 additional members, with one member representing the interests of the LGBTQIA community, and one member a person who has not attained 25 years of age. The bill updates terminology describing other appointees. 

The bill also would provide $200,000 per year for the next two fiscal years for the Commission to hire an Executive Director. 

“We’re excited to support this bill to strengthen the Commission’s ability to research and collect data regarding the status of Maine women and girls,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “Everyone should care about gender equity, and the leadership of the Commission is vital to ensuring that legislators have the information they need to make sound policy that will have a positive impact on the future of women and girls in our state.”

“Among Permanent Commissions across New England and the country, Maine is not the leader in ensuring its Women’s Commission has the funding and the membership necessary to be as strong, impactful, and helpful to policy makers as possible,” said Kate Elmes, the Commission’s current chair. “Massachusetts’ Commission currently has an annual budget of over $1M and a staff of five, while Vermont has an annual budget of nearly half a million and a staff of two. With this full-time capacity, Massachusetts and Vermont are able to publish professional biannual reports that offer policy makers insights into the status of women and girls, and recommendations for policy solutions, with specific focus on topics such as women’s economic security, women in the trades, women in STEM, older women, rural women, etc. They also host convenings that bring women from across their states together to discuss ways to increase opportunities and equity for women.”

Accurate and timely data are critical for informing public policy, making expenditure decisions, setting state agency priorities, influencing state and local program planning, and conducting evaluations and marketing. In its most recent report, the Commission called for the Legislature to collect more data, particularly centering on marginalized women and girls. Such data includes:

• The percentage of women who work in the care economy, who depend on these services in order to work, and who are providing uncompensated care for their families.
• These data should include BIPOC women, as well as those with disabilities or who are caring for family members with disabilities.
• The extent to which BIPOC women and women with disabilities are enrolled in social services or public assistance programs for which they are eligible, and the extent to which eligibility (and demand) for these programs compares to enrollment.
• Better data interoperability to improve our understanding of women’s needs (and the extent to which they are being met) across systems, and throughout the state.
• Better data, and an improved ability to cross-correlate and compare multiple sets of data, are essential to plan, budget, execute, and evaluate programs and policies that support women and their families.

Representatives from Girl Scouts of Maine, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, and Legal Services for the Elderly also testified in favor of the bill.

LD 794 faces further action in committee.