The Trump Administration proposed to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and zero out federal funding for civil legal aid.
Click here to read an editorial that ran recently in the Portland Press Herald and Kennebec Journal, reiterating the huge economic impact of legal aid in Maine.
If this draconian cut is implemented, Pine Tree Legal Assistance no longer will be able to come to the rescue of thousands of Mainers who cannot afford the legal help they need when faced with a life-changing situation. They won’t be able to help veterans denied rightfully earned benefits, women trapped in abusive relationships, parents seeking custody of their children, and families facing wrongful evictions for foreclosures. They no longer will be able to provide basic legal aid services in many rural areas of Maine.
Pine Tree Legal Assistance now receives $1.4 million in LSC funds. This investment of $1 per Mainer per year, results in tens of millions of dollars in positive economic impact for the State. Moreover, this funding supports fairness and justice for all.