Maine Senate gives initial support to Sen. Mike Tipping bill to address decades of underfunding the University of Maine System, invest in Maine students

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, May 22, the Maine Senate unanimously endorsed a bill from Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, LD 1219, “An Act to Increase State Funding for the Campuses of the University of Maine System and to Raise the Minimum Hourly Wage for Employees of the System.” 

“Decades of reduced funding for our public universities has led to higher tuition and dramatically less investment in young people, research and our collective future,” said Sen. Tipping. “The greatest educational, economic and cultural engines of our state are sputtering, and the costs are falling on the students and some of the lowest-paid staff on our campuses.”

As amended, LD 1219 would provide ongoing funds to support a 4% increase ($9.5 million) in funding for fiscal year 2025-26 and an additional 4% increase ($19.5 million) in funding for fiscal year 2026-27 to support the continuation of current University of Maine System operations.

This 4% funding increase aligns with Governor Janet Mills Administration’s biennial budget proposal, the recommendation of a bipartisan majority of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and the University of Maine System’s Part II FY26-27 state biennial budget request.

In testimony for the public hearing, University of Southern Maine economics professor Rachel Bouvier told the Committee, “Our students — whether they are adult learners, veterans, New Mainers or recent high school graduates — go on to serve Maine as engineers, educators, artists, health professionals and more. An investment in the UMS is an investment in the future of our state.”

Similarly, Rachel Hovel, a biology professor at the University of Maine at Farmington, explained, “Our students deserve education and experiences that will lead to their success after graduation. Our state deserves talented and motivated UMS graduates that will continue to innovate our role into the future. Appropriate funding for the University of Maine System is critical to our continued offering of strong programs that keep young people in the state and draw new talented people to the region.”

In 1990, the state provided more than 70% of funding for the University of Maine System. Now, it is around 40%.

In the coming weeks, LD 1219 will have additional votes in the Senate and House.

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