GOVERNOR VETOES STATE’S BUDGET

Despite its strong bipartisan support, Governor rejects responsible balanced budget

AUGUSTA—After weeks of threats, Governor Paul LePage vetoed the Legislature’s two year balanced budget today. After months of negotiation, the budget passed unanimously out of the state’s budget writing committee and received two-thirds support from both the Senate and the House.

“We did what Maine people expect us to do: we worked together, we negotiated, and we passed a balanced budget, ” said Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland. “In a divided government, neither side gets everything it wants.”

Senator Seth Goodall speaks with reporters about the Governor’s veto of the budget

President Alfond added, “Today’s veto affirms the Governor’s commitment to shutting the state down if he did not get his budget, his way. This is not leadership, and once again, one man is getting in the way of progress for the people of Maine.”

The bipartisan budget, unanimously recommended by the 13 member budget writing panel, restores nearly two-thirds of the cuts to municipal revenue sharing, the Homestead exemption, $37 million in funding for education, and funding for the early childhood program, Head Start. The bipartisan budget also restores cuts to programs that help seniors pay for their medicine and reduces waitlists for enhanced specialized MaineCare services for people with severe disabilities. The restorations are paid for, in part, by closing corporate tax loopholes, and increasing the sales tax by half a penny and the meals and lodging taxes by one percent until June 30, 2015. Additionally, the Legislature’s budget restores funding for merit and longevity pay for state workers.

“Every two years we take a vote that is perhaps one of the most challenging. It requires us to set aside our philosophical differences and do what is right by looking ahead to our future,” said Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall of Richmond. “From our conversations with Republicans, we are confident they will stand by their votes, and the people of Maine should be proud of their commitment to this bipartisan budget.”

Governor LePage cited his objections to education funding as one rationale for vetoing the budget.

“The Governor’s claims about education funding are patently false. In fact, the Legislature’s budget restores funding that was cut in the Governor’s proposal, and we provide more than $30 million extra for public education,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson of Allagash. “This budget does not fund, however, the Governor’s special pet projects, like lawyer’s fees for potential legal challenges to for-profit schools, because we felt that education funding should be spent in the classroom, not the courtroom.”

Six months ago, the governor proposed a $6.3 billion budget that shifted nearly $400 million in cuts onto towns, property owners, and small businesses, and raised more than $100 million in direct tax hikes.

“As a committee and as a Legislature, we left politics at the door. We worked together to craft a responsible, bipartisan budget for the people of Maine,” said Senator Dawn Hill of York, the Senate Chair of the Appropriations committee. “I’m proud of our ability to work together despite our differences, and disappointed the Governor would not join us in our efforts.”

The Legislature is convening on Wednesday, June 26 to take up vetoes of the budget and other legislative initiatives rejected by the Governor.

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