Democrats call on governor to release new budget changes to public

Posted: May 08, 2012 | Appropriations and Financial Affairs, Senator Hill

Governor gives undisclosed “marching orders” to Republican lawmakers

 

AUGUSTA – Democratic lawmakers on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee today are calling on the LePage Administration to release the details of a substantive “change package” it submitted to Republicans last week to address the shortfall in the 2013 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

The governor’s new suggested changes have not had a public hearing.

 

“The governor has handed down secret marching orders to the Republicans with no intention of informing the public,” said Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, the lead House Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “I’m saddened to see such an end run around the public and disregard for our working together. As a veteran member of this committee, I’ve never seen such an over step by a governor. He may as well be chairing the committee.”

 

Late Monday afternoon, after learning about the governor’s substantive change package that was shared with Republicans the prior week, Rotundo and Senator Dawn Hill, D-York, requested a copy of the two-page. The change package was shared with Democrats last night only upon request and was never given to the Legislature’s non-partisan fiscal office.

 

The changes were submitted after lawmakers learned state revenues were up by $49 million.

“The Republicans are choosing to abandon the bipartisan work this committee has done on five other budgets,” said Hill, who serves on the committee. “We are distressed to see the Republicans caving to the ideological right wing and disarray of their party rather than working together for the good of Maine people. In the aftermath of the convention, the radical right is emboldened and now hijacking the state’s business.”

 

Typically, new substantive changes to budget proposals from the governor’s office are sent to the full Appropriations committee and heard before the public.

 

Democrats have been working for weeks on alternatives to the governor’s original budget cuts, which they said were irresponsible and dangerous. LePage’s original budget included cuts to programs that help children and lower the cost of medicine for the elderly.

 

Committee work on the DHHS budget was delayed due to serious computer errors in the MaineCare claims processing system.