skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump's pick to lead DEA withdraws from consideration; Report: NYS hospitals' operating margins impact patient care; Summit County, CO aims to remain economically viable in warming climate; SD Gov. sets aside 2026 budget funds for new education savings accounts.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

GOP Senators voice reservations about Kash Patel, Trump's FBI pick. President Biden continues to face scrutiny over pardoning his son. And GOP House members gear up for tough budget fights, possibly targeting important programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Residents in Colorado's rural communities face challenges to recycling, climate change and Oregon's megadrought are worrying firefighters, and a farm advocacy group says corporate greed is behind high food prices in Montana.

ME Lawmakers Study Regulations Surrounding Addiction Recovery Homes

play audio
Play

Friday, April 14, 2023   

Public opposition to legislation requiring stricter fire-safety standards at Maine's recovery residences has led lawmakers to consider studying the system as a whole.

Advocates for Mainers with substance-use disorders say legislation to require the addition of costly sprinkler systems and fire doors would close up to 30 recovery homes and endanger lives at a time of record drug overdoses.

State Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, said lawmakers opted to study the problem instead of passing a bill, to ensure there's not only enough recovery housing but also set standards in how evictions from those homes are handled.

"The problem that we're facing in Maine," said Lookner, "is that recovery residences don't fit neatly into a regulatory framework that makes sense, so that's what we're trying to determine with this study."

Recovery residences are required to meet national standards which are overseen by the Maine Association of Recovery Residences, and include fire extinguishers and smoke detectors inspections like traditional family homes.

The Appropriations Committee will consider adding the study to the supplemental budget bill in May.

Recovery residences are often the first step in someone's journey to enter and sustain longer-term sobriety, and recovery advocates say these homes provide a critical service in the ongoing opioid crisis.

Courtney Gary-Allen, organizing director with the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project, said lawmakers should protect these homes and encourage others to build more like them.

"The bottom line is we need to save lives," said Gary-Allen, "and the way that we do that is by supporting and encouraging treatment and recovery support services for folks who use drugs."

A report by the Maine Attorney General's Office shows overdose deaths in the state set a record for the third straight year in 2022, claiming an estimated 716 lives.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Research on the effects of a school voucher program in Louisiana show academic performance decreased among kids who use vouchers to attend private schools. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In this week's 2026 budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem proposed establishing education savings accounts for K-12 students in South Dakota. Opponents …


Environment

play sound

The most current study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated more than 143 million Americans are at risk of drinking water tainted with P…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people in prison who began serving time when they were juveniles. A new report from …


The unpaid care provided by more than 580,000 Wisconsin caregivers is valued at $9.2 billion, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

More than 580,000 Wisconsinites are unpaid family caregivers and they serve as the backbone of the state's long-term care system, and one …

Environment

play sound

A county high in the Colorado Rockies is working to include its underserved residents in plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver …

State officials say in 2023, Minnesota's workplace injury and illness rate fell to an all-time low. (Freepik)

Social Issues

play sound

There is promising news at the national level and in Minnesota in trying to lower workplace injuries and illnesses. A key labor organization is happy …

Social Issues

play sound

By Dakarai Turner for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service…

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report found New York hospitals are in a precarious financial state. The New York State Hospitals Fiscal Survey Report showed statewide …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021