budget

There are a lot of hands reaching out for the small amount of cash the state has left.

Friday the Appropriations Committee will take up the bills on the Special Appropriations Table – bills the Legislature passed but need to be funded.  read more »

PolitickerME asked six Democrats in the Legislature how they were feeling about the budget that passed. Responding in the video below: House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland; Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport; House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven; Senate Majority Leader Libby Mitchell, D-Vassalboro; Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham; and Rep. Emily Cain, D-Orono, a member of the Appropriations Committee.

In addition, the Senate Majority Office has sent on this video of Sen. Peggy Rotundo’s floor speech. Rotundo, D-Lewiston, is the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.

PolitickerME asked six Republicans in the Legislature how they were feeling about the budget that passed. Responding in the video below: Senate Minority Leader Carol Weston, R-Montville; House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport; Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville; Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland, a member of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Michael Vaughan, R-Durham; and Rep. John McDonough, R-Scarborough.

Gov. John Baldacci signed the supplemental budget package shortly after the Legislature approved it Monday night.

His statement: “This has been a difficult budget process. Maine has been forced to deal with a $190 million revenue downturn caused by a struggling national economy. The decisions have been difficult, but the end product is a reasonable and responsible budget that puts us on firmer financial footing moving forward.”

It’s finally over.

With 2 hours left on the clock, the Maine Senate enacted the state budget at about 10 p.m. Monday night. The supplemental budget restores MaineCare funding to those in the non-categoricals program, but cuts positions in the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability.

Both chambers approved the budget with Democrats favoring it and Republicans rejecting it.

The Senate went back in at 7:30 p.m. and Republicans are holding onto the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability with dear life.

Republicans and Democrats are exchanging sharp exchanges over the office and the role the cuts play in the budget process. Listen in here.  read more »

UPDATE:  The Republican amendments have been voted down, and the budget has been sent to the Senate.

With six hours left to close the budget, there’s some buzz in the hallways over the latest hold up.

The House went back into session just after 4 p.m. this afternoon. The proceedings can be viewed here.

In a way it’s back to the drawing board – a new budget bill has been introduced for debate.

House Republicans are allowed three amendments.

The House has adhered to their version of the state budget –firmly telling the Senate that they will not budge on its position.

House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, said Thursday that House Democrats will not support any budget that includes health care cuts. The Senate version cuts $3 million for health care to adults with no children.

The budget is now back in the Senate’s hands, and the body is expected to convene later today.

The two legislative chambers cannot agree on the state budget. If they don’t come up with something by April 1, it could result in a curtailment order from the governor.

The state Senate went in just after 8 p.m. Thursday night and adjourned at 1 a.m. Friday morning after approving the budget with several amendments.  read more »