SALEM (AP) - Mary Mercer sold her Monmouth home three years ago and gave most of the money to the state so she could move into an assisted-living center.

Last August, Mercer, 77, got 30 days notice to get out.

Mercer is among thousands of Oregonians who lost senior services because of cutbacks after the 2001-02 recession.

Senior service advocates hoped that in-home care would be fully funded now that times are better. But lawmakers are focusing on education and highway patrols, leading to some heated exchanges between senior advocates and lawmakers.

“We feel that seniors and people with disabilities have essentially been ignored and abandoned in the budget,” said Barry Donenfeld, who runs a Salem agency serving clients in five counties.

But seniors are “finding their voice,” said Nicole Palmateer, lobbyist for Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities.

Their prime target is Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, co-chairman of the joint budget committee.

“There is a ton of misinformation that is scaring seniors,” said Schrader.

He said no senior services are being cut this session and that he is trying to assure stable funding.

Advocates say it's the wrong time to freeze in-home care, because it's cheaper and more popular than nursing homes and Oregon's frail population is climbing.

Mercer, who lives on about $1,200 a month from Social Security, can still drive to buy groceries.

But she doesn't trust herself with a knife, and burns her hand when using a toaster. She eats only what she can microwave.

Bringing a spoon or fork to her mouth is so cumbersome that the food gets cold, Mercer said. She's too embarrassed to go to restaurants.

She tried Meals on Wheels, but has allergies and couldn't eat much of what was provided.

If someone could prepare meals and stock up her freezer, she says, she wouldn't be so limited.

“I just feel like I'm one of the people that have fallen through the cracks,” she said.

Senior advocates are most concerned about restoring in-home care to those at Levels 14 to 17, which is 60 percent federally funded, and bolstering Oregon Project Independence, a state-funded program that launched a national move toward in-home services in 1975.

Former Gov. John Kitzhaber sought to eliminate Oregon Project Independence when state funds grew tight, because it doesn't bring Medicaid matching money.

Senior advocates prize it because it's cheaper and more flexible without federal strings.

In 2005 senior advocates got more money for the program.

Advocates were heartened when Gov. Ted Kulongoski proposed $16.6 million for it in his 2007-09 budget, enough to reverse past cutbacks. But Schrader and his House counterpart, Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, countered with $12.6 million, enough to retain current services but not fund the promised expansion.

Senate Republicans issued a letter saying it's no time to “cut and run” from Oregon Project Independence by removing its general-fund support.

House Republican Leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby, accused Democratic budget chiefs of trying to cut the project, and said there's money to restore cuts to schools and to senior services.

Scott declined to say what he would cut to bolster in-home care.

Schrader said some senior programs are being bolstered in his and Nolan's budget proposals. Those include nursing-home staffing levels and higher reimbursements to Area Agencies on Aging.

Schrader said the Oregon Project Independence budget is likely to climb to $13 million to $14 million after an analysis determined there's $33 million that can be redeployed in human services funding.

Schrader said it's fair criticism that past in-home care cuts aren't being reversed.

But he said lawmakers want to sustain current services, and not yank senior services again when revenues dip.