Democrat issues statement on proposed MPBN funding cuts, governor's office responds

Read more on WGME.

A democratic lawmaker says he’ll speak one on one with the governor over his plan to cut all of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s public funding.

Governor Paul LePage wants to cut MPBN’s state funding in his two-year budget, which amounts to 20 percent of all the money MPBN receives.

In a statement released Sunday night, Senate Democratic Leader Barry Hobbins writes “[e]veryone can find a program that suits their taste [on MPBN]. Whether it’s Click and Clack on the radio or a Ken Burns documentary on television, the lives of Mainers are enhanced by the service MPBN provides…we have received more calls and emails about this issue and so I trust that the governor will reconsider this proposal and also see that the value of MPBN overrides politics.”

Governor LePage’s spokeswoman, Adrienne Bennett, sent this statement to News 13 Sunday in response to Senator Hobbins’ comments: “At a time when we are having to cut [M]edicaid and other essential services to some, it is only fair we look at all of our options to find savings.”