Supplemental budget clears committee with unanimous approval

AUGUSTA – Tonight, the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee unanimously approved a supplemental budget that includes no new programs. A supplemental budget is an adjustment to the 2021-2023 biennial state budget, to ensure Maine abides by its constitutionally mandated balanced budget law. The proposal – LD 206, An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government and to Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2023 – will now go before the full House and Senate for additional votes.

“This supplemental budget ensures that the State of Maine will meet all of its obligations and pay its bills through the end of the fiscal year. I am especially pleased that we are continuing to address the critical issue of reinforcing Maine’s Indigent Legal Services and Guardians ad Litem programs, and lay the framework for long-term relief for dairy farmers ” said Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. “Throughout the process, all Budget Committee members — Democrats and Republicans — worked together to make sure we put Mainers’ needs first. I am looking forward to getting to work on the biennial budget in the same spirit of mutual respect and bipartisanship.”

“The problems we need to solve are bigger than this bipartisan supplemental budget, but I am heartened by the passage of this bill,” said Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, House Chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. “Our committee has a lot of work ahead of us, but we will remain steadfast in prioritizing investments in affordable housing, quality public education, accessible health care, safeguards for our most vulnerable, equitable access to justice, and an economy that works for both Maine families and our communities.”

There was an initial effort to include funding for the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services and Guardians ad Litem. After several work sessions, both programs announced that the necessary funding had been found within their budgets to raise rates for participating attorneys in the programs.

The supplemental budget also includes the following investments:
• Funding for hospitals and nursing facilities
• Funding for the Small Business Health Insurance Premium Support Program
• A one-time 1% cost of living adjustment for the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MEPERS)
• Funding to replace firefighting gear with PFAS-free gear
• Funding to maintain the web-based application process for free school meals
• Scholarships for students at the University of Maine and Maine Maritime Academy
• PFAS testing for food packaging
• Burial of National Guardsmen and Reservists in the Maine Veterans’ Cemetary
• Increased fuel costs for the Department of Corrections and Department of Marine Resources
• Support for turnpike safety and enforcement and the Fire Marshal’s Office
• Funding for Animal Welfare Services