Every two years, the Constitution of the State of Maine requires the governor to submit a balanced budget to the Legislature. The budget is balanced when the projected revenue is in line with the proposed expenditures. The projected revenue used is determined by the independent and non-partisan Revenue Forecasting Committee. You are able to view their forecasts here. The budget must be in place by the end of the fiscal year, June 30.
Since her election, Governor Mills and her staff have been assembling the budget based on these projected revenues. On February 8, the Governor released her budget to the public and presented it to the Legislature. Just last week she took the opportunity to speak to the full Legislature and the citizens of Maine about her proposal in her State of the Budget address at the State House.
Now that Governor Mills has presented her budget to the Legislature, it is our turn to get to work. Over the next four weeks, we will hold hearings on all aspects of the proposed budget. This is an opportunity for citizens who have comments or concerns about any proposal in the budget to present them to the Legislature to be considered as we finalize the budget. I welcome anyone who has thoughts about the budget to come to the State House to share them. If you cannot make it to a public hearing, you are also welcome to email the Appropriations Committee, which is the budget-writing committee. You may also send your thoughts to me, and I will refer them to the budget-writing committee.
This is a very important part of the process because the budget is the single largest item we deal with in the legislature. It contains the funding for the programs that Maine citizens rely on–from healthcare to infrastructure to education and much more. In the end, the budget is a policy document and a statement about our priorities as a state.
The budget itself is a two-year budget that includes $8 billion in spending. This budget is larger than in past years because Maine’s economy has improved and tax receipts are higher. This budget does not include any tax increases. Education and healthcare account for nearly two-thirds of the entire budget, while higher education, the remaining departments of state government, the judicial branch, and debt service roughly make up the remaining third.
The Highway Fund Budget, which includes all infrastructure spending for two years, and over which my committee, the Transportation Committee, has jurisdiction, is a completely separate budget. My committee will be tackling that budget in the coming weeks as well.
While there is not enough space to write about all the proposals, here are a few highlights: The Governor’s budget includes funding for Medicaid expansion, which the voters approved two years ago. The budget includes $2 million for the Maine State Grant Program, a proposal to fund a $40,000 minimum teacher’s salary, an increase in revenue sharing between the state and municipalities to 2.5%, an increase in the level at which seniors can participate in the Drugs for the Elderly program, $10 million for tobacco cessation programs, and $5.5 million to combat the opioid crisis. There are many other proposals in the budget that include incentives for small businesses, increases in health services for those in need, and relief for property taxpayers.
By funding critical programs like MaineCare, we help those in need, and by increasing education funding and revenue sharing, we help to reduce the burden on property taxpayers, two very important initiatives. There is work to be done to improve this budget, but as it stands, this budget is thoughtful and lives within its means.
The budget itself is public and can be viewed here. We have a considerable amount of work to do in evaluating the budget proposals, and I hope to hear from you with your thoughts and concerns on the budget or any other matter of state government.
Rep. Andrew McLean, D-Gorham, is serving his fourth term in the Maine House. He is House Chair of the Transportation Committee and represents parts of both Gorham and Scarborough.
(207) 939-8482 | (800) 423-2900 | andrew.mclean@legislature.maine.gov