LAWMAKERS HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC TODAY -- ON A BILL THAT PROPOSES AN OVERHAUL TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. THE PROPOSAL CHANGES THE RULES FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR STATE RETIREES... WMTW NEWS 8'S JOE GLAUBER IS LIVE AT THE STATE HOUSE TO EXPLAIN. THIS BILL IS AIMED AT CHANGING SOME KEY COMPONENTS OF HOW DISABILITY APPLICATIONS ARE EVALUATED -- FOR MAINE'S PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AFTER MANY CAME HERE TO SAY -- THEY WERE LEFT IN THE COLD. 18'16'28" : I AM SOMEBODY WHO'S TAUGHT IN MAINE SCHOOLS FOR 24 YEARS AS A LONGTIME PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER -- KRISTIN JORTBERG-DUBOIS NEVER EXPECTED TO HAVE HER DISABILITY RETIREMENT áDENIEDá -- AND HER FINANCIAL FUTURE IN QUESTION. 18'18'01" : HAVING BEEN DENIED AND READING THEIR REPORTS, I FEEL I HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKED AT AS A HUMAN BEING OR A VALUABLE TEACHER HER CANCER DIAGNOSIS TWO YEARS AGO WAS NOT ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR THE DISABILITY PROGRAM IN MAINE'S PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIRMENT SYSTEM. ... BECAUSE HER CONDITION WASN'T PERMANENT. THE DIAGNOSIS CAME FROM HER DOCTORS. BUT THIS RULING, SHE SAYS, CAME FROM AN ANONYMOUS BOARD. 18'19'31" : I STILL TO THIS DAY HAVE REALLY NO IDEA WHO SITS BEYOND THAT BOARD, ON THAT BOARD <BUTTED> 18'13'10" : I NEVER SAW A DOCTOR SIGN A REJECT, I NEVER SAW ANY NAMES WHATSOEVER, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUDGING ME? BILL SPONSOR, SENATOR DAVE MIRAMANT, BELIEVES STATE EMPLOYEES ARE LOSING OUT ON A KEY BENEFIT. 18'04'18" : THEY WOULD BE YEARS WITHOUT ANY INCOME, WHEN THEY AREN'T ABLE TO WORK, WHEN ONE OR MULTIPLE DOCTORS WOULD SAY THAT THEY'RE PERMANENTLY DISABLED, THEN THEY WOULD GO TO THE SYSTEM TO TRY TO GET THE BENEFITS THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD. TESTIMONY FROM THE STATE WEDNESDAY, NEITHER FOR NOR AGAINST THE MEASURE, ACKNOWLEDGED A GAP. 18'26'15" : WHEN SOMEONE HAS AN ILLNESS OR DISABILITY THAT LASTS FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS, BUT IT IS NOT CONSIDERED PERMANENT, THAT'S WHERE THE GAP HAPPENS. THE STATE DOESN'T CURRENTLY HAVE A BENEFIT TO COVER THIS &#8211; WE RECOGNIZE THA THIS IS A DEFICIENCY, WE KNOW THIS IS A HARDSHIP TO THE EMPLOYEES. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAINE PERS JUST WRAPPING UP HER TESTIMONY AT THE HEARING. SHE SAYS THEY AGREE IT'S A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING -- AND HOPE LEGISLATORS DON'T ALLOW COST TO BE A BARRIER. HOWEVER, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON A LONG-TERM DISABILITY PLAN TO FILL THE GAPS, WHICH SHOULD BE READ LATER THIS YEAR. LIVE IN AUGUSTA JG WMTW NEWS