AUGUSTA, Maine - House Republican Leader Ken Fredette told reporters he will push for approval of a new 21-bed psychiatric facility next door to the state’s Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta.
The matter is not on today's Legislative Council meeting agenda, but Fredette says he will bring up a motion for the council to approve its construction.
“There are real consequences to not moving forward here," he says. "Patients aren’t getting into the proper facility that they need to be put into. That’s a risk to them. People that are taking care of these folks continue to be in an environment where they are at risk.”
Because the facility is within the Capitol area, state law requires the approval of the Legislative Council, which is made up of the elected leaders of the Legislature. The council has five members from each party.
Democrats blocked approval last month, saying they had unanswered questions about the proposal. The proposed facility would cost $3.5 million to construct, but if it has to be built elsewhere, costs will go up by at least a million dollars.
