Surplus Helps Swift
Passage of the Supplemental Budget
The state is expecting a healthy budget surplus as a result
of the fiscal responsibility of the Baldacci administration. With approximately $150
million in anticipated revenue, passing a supplemental budget turned out to be swifter
than expected.
“I commend leadership and the members of the
Appropriations Committee for their diligence and determination in crafting this final
product, which meets the needs of Maine people, continues vital investments to increase
economic opportunities for our citizens, and maintains fiscal responsibility,” said
Governor Baldacci.
The budget passed on a 131-8 vote in the House and a 34-1
vote in the Senate.
“It’s rare indeed to have a budget pass this
swiftly and with such strong bipartisan support,” said the governor.
Actor Jonathan Frakes visited the
State House and talked to the governor about the new film initiative. Frakes, of Star Trek
fame, lives in Maine and said he wrote a script that he would like to see filmed in the
state. "Your film initiative will encourage more film makers to come to the
state," he said.
The budget provides $48 million in additional aid
to education programs:
This budget continues to bring state support of local
school districts to 50 percent under the LD 1 law. With LD 1 state education funding
increases, allowing municipalities to decrease local property taxes. The governor’s
plans to increase access to higher education were furthered by $200,000 for the College
Transitions Program, which pays for adult education classes to assist adults going back to
college; and $750,000 for nursing faculty at Maine’s Community Colleges and the
University System. The educational segment of the budget also is designed to pay teachers
more to cover the time they need to implement Maine’s Learning Results Program and
provides $3 million in additional funding for high-performing, small schools. The budget
includes $10 million from the General Fund for replacing 32,000 laptop computers for the
state’s seventh- and eighth-graders. The student loan deduction was expanded to make
higher education more affordable. “It will open the doors even wider for
students,” said the governor.
The budget invests in more than $75 million in
funding for vital health care services:
The governor recently announced the release of Roadmap to
Better Health: Maine’s State Health Plan 2006/2007. Within it there are measures to
help the people of Maine become healthier with preventive heath care.
This budget directs $4.6 million to the Fund for a Healthy
Maine, which invests in smoking prevention and cessation efforts, prenatal and young
children’s care, and dental and health care for disadvantaged people. To encourage
people to quit cigarettes, $350,000 is provided in support for the Tobacco Help Line.
This budget provides more than $19 million toward
prescription drug support due to the faulty federal Medicare Part D program. This will
ensure that seniors and the disabled who received prescription drug benefits under the
state’s programs will not lose benefits or have to pay more. The budget also covers
the federal “claw back” fee forced upon Maine to pay for Medicare Part D.
The governor recently reiterated his steadfast
determination to continue to help our seniors and disabled citizens when the federal
government refused a time extension for Medicare Part D’s transition. “We will
once again take care of our people in this state and ensure that every senior and disabled
person receives the medication they need. While the federal government may not be looking
out for the people of Maine, we are,” said Baldacci.
Debt obligations that date back to previous administrations
will continue to be met by $16.9 million to help pay down hospital settlements.
The budget boosts the Rainy Day Fund to $100 million. When
the governor took office the Rainy Day Fund was at zero. He also had to deal with a $1.2
billion structural deficit. With this budget the state savings account will be increased
by another $29 million. This budget stabilization fund will now exceed $100 million.
The budget makes up for federal government
cutbacks:
Nearly 15 percent of the budget went to areas which the
federal government hasn’t funded sufficiently, like homeland security or costs
imposed on the state like Medicare Part D.
“Unfortunately, Maine is being forced to step up where
the federal government is skipping out,” said House Speaker Richardson.
“Congressmen Tom Allen and Mike Michaud have been doing what they can to fight the
federal budget cuts, and they voted against them, but the Bush budget is doing damage
throughout the nation, and we are feeling it severely here in Maine.”
“I’m pleased to say that the budget endorsed the
governor’s recommendation of $642,000 for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. The
funding makes up for federal cuts,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Michael
Cantara. The Juvenile Drug Courts and treatment centers now will have their funding
restored. Without proper treatment, drug offenders more often than not repeat their
offences. “The MDA was on life support; we’re very grateful,” said the
commissioner.
Other highlights of the budget package include:
Fifteen million dollars for improvements to Maine’s
transportation infrastructure, nearly $1 million to start up a new business court, $1.2
million for the Clean Election Fund, funds to redevelop the Brewer Mill, and funds for the
creative economy’s New Century program and the governor’s Maine Film Initiative.
The governor’s supplemental budget went through a
round of compromises in the Appropriations Committee, and marathon work sessions, before
being passed on to the House of Representatives.
“It is important to me that we were able to maintain
our obligation to the health-care safety net,” said Sen. Peggy Rotundo, the
Appropriations Committee Senate chairwoman. “It feels good to go back to making these
bipartisan budgets.”
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