Last month, the legislature passed a two-year continuing-services budget that is a responsible, governing budget. During a time of deep uncertainty in Washington, D.C., the measure that we enacted will provide the predictability and stability that Maine people and communities across the state need – and that they have asked us for.
The budget maintains our commitment to fund 55% of K-12 public education and municipal revenue-sharing, giving towns and cities some financial certainty as they work to craft their local budgets. It also avoids a government shutdown. Without this critical funding, the burden of municipal costs for local services would fall even more directly on local residents, leading to an even bigger increase in property taxes during a time when many Mainers simply cannot afford it.
Additionally, this budget provides vital MaineCare funding and ensures that the state pays its bills to hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and community-based service organizations. These payments enable providers to deliver life-saving care and remain operational, particularly in rural communities already experiencing significant healthcare deserts. The budget also implements a 1.95% cost-of-living-adjustment for essential support and direct-care workers who provide crucial services to our most vulnerable citizens, while performing physically and emotionally demanding work that remains underappreciated and underpaid.
An important but often overlooked initiative this budget addresses is the eastern spruce budworm threat. This forest insect poses a real danger to our forests here in Maine, with outbreaks occurring every 30-60 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, a spruce budworm infestation devastated forests across 136 million acres in eastern Canada and Maine, resulting in hundreds of millions in lost revenue for our forest products industry. We now stand on the brink of another outbreak, with populations expected to increase dramatically soon. The budget addresses this threat proactively by providing $2 million for mitigation efforts, which will help prevent a potential 40% destruction of our state’s spruce wood, nearly 4,000 job losses, an $800 million negative economic impact and increased forest fire risks.
I want to be clear, since there’s a lot of misinformation out there: this budget is balanced, and it contains no new taxes or spending cuts to essential programs – anything you hear otherwise is simply untrue.
However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. In the coming weeks and months, the Legislature has more time to take up our second budget bill to address important remaining policy discussions. As we draft this second budget, we remain committed to pushing for new measures that actually make life better for Maine families – not just a privileged few. Over the next few months, we’ll be working to improve fairness in the state’s tax code, close the wealth gap, grow the middle class, lower costs, and put money back into the pockets of everyday Mainers.
Maine people and businesses deserve predictability, stability, and good governance, and that is exactly what this two-part budget process is accomplishing. My focus is – and always will be – to fight for the people of Gorham. That will never change.
I encourage you to reach out to me any time with concerns about issues you care about, questions on policy or legislation, ideas on ways to better our community, or even just to introduce yourself. Please do not hesitate to email me at ellie.sato@legislature.maine.gov, or call the House Democratic Office at 207-287-1430.
Rep. Ellie Sato, D- Gorham, is serving her first term in the House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.