AUGUSTA – The question of whether homeless people are entitled to the same human rights protections as women, ethnic or religious groups will be probed next week when a series of hearings authorized by Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe gets under way in Portland.

The hearings are part of a study requested last session by legislators from southern Maine who were concerned about area reports of homeless Mainers being beaten, denied housing and ripped off by store clerks.

Chuck Dow of the state Attorney General’s Office said Thursday that Mainers who are or have been homeless are encouraged to attend one of four regional meetings to discuss any discrimination they have experienced as a result of their homelessness.

Dow said the study is focusing on discrimination that falls into a few basic categories: bias-motivated violence or threats of violence; bias-motivated property damage or threats of property damage; and discrimination in housing, public accommodations, and pricing of goods and services.

“We need to know whether these are backdrop anecdotes or whether there is real information that suggests this is a widespread, serious problem,” he said.

Dow said that as part of the study, the Attorney General’s Office already has conducted a statewide survey of agencies that serve the homeless as well as law enforcement agencies.

The office’s findings will be reported to the Legislature in early January.

Sought by state Sens. Michael Brennan and Ethan Strimling and Rep. Ben Dudley, all Portland Democrats, the hearings will be held Nov. 22 at the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland; Dec. 3 in Bangor at a time and location yet to be determined; Dec. 7 at the York County Shelter in Alfred; and Dec. 14 at the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston.

Dudley said he and others were asked to probe the issue by officials at Preble Street, a Portland-based organization that runs a shelter as part of its services.

Preble Street’s advocacy director, Donna Yellen, said she has seen an increasing number of cases of violence and discrimination against homeless people in the past year.

“In the summer of 2003 we started seeing more and more people coming through our doors … with black eyes, broken wrists, with stories of being assaulted,” Yellen said.

“And it seems like the only reason why they were being targeted, harassed and sometimes assaulted was because they were homeless, because they had a backpack, because they were walking by themselves in a park at night, because they were sitting in front of the library on a Sunday night,” she said.

Members of the organization suggested to lawmakers that they amend the Maine Human Rights Act to include homelessness as a protected class, according to Dudley.

“Before jumping the gun, we wanted the right authorities in the state to examine the question and find out how widespread the discrimination is and whether it is particular to the homeless,” he said.

House Republican leader David Bowles of Sanford did not want to comment Thursday, but Republican Sen. Debra D. Plowman of Hampden said she wasn’t excited about the possibility of adding any more special minorities to the state’s civil rights law.

“Without minimizing the plight of the homeless, I’m quite amazed that the first initiative on behalf of the Democratic majority is to discuss another social issue,” she said. “Plainly, the last election showed people are more concerned about taxes, health care and the economy. Every bill that ties us up on social issues shortens the amount of time that we have for tax reform, health care and the economy.”

Homeless or formerly homeless Mainers who wish to offer testimony at one of the hearings but are unable to arrange transportation may call Charles Dow at the Attorney General’s Office at 626-8577.

Those who want to share information about discrimination also may do so by writing to the attorney general at the following address before Dec. 15: Attorney General Steven Rowe, Attn: Homeless Discrimination Study, #6 State House Station, Augusta 04333.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.