AUGUSTA, Maine - Bipartisan legislation to create a new crime of financial exploitation of a senior, and provide the attorney general with staff to investigate and prosecute those crimes, has been introduced in the Legislature.
"We need to put more resources, more effort, into making sure that we prevent, first of all, elder abuse and financial elder abuse," says Republican Sen. David Burns, of Whiting, who is sponsoring the bill, "and also when it does happen, we have the tools to go and track down the people that are responsible for that."
Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick is co-sponsoring the bill. He says Maine will need to do more in future years as more Mainers turn 65.
"Elder abuse, whether it is financial abuse or physical abuse is a huge problem here in the state and that's why I think you see legislators coming around the table," Eves says. "There are ongoing efforts now, but I think we need to do more."
The legislation has yet to have a public hearing. And because it has a price tag of over $400,000, if it is approved, it will have to compete for funding later in the session.
