AUGUSTA – The debate over spending priorities for state government in the upcoming two years moves to the full Legislature this week.

There is little disagreement over providing an additional $250 million for local schools as a follow-up to referendum voting last year. But major splits remain between Democrats and Republicans after the Appropriations Committee divided along party lines last week.

The Appropriations panel only concluded its work close to dawn on Saturday. Final action by the full House and Senate is unlikely before next week.

While standing with Gov. John Baldacci in rejecting new broad-based taxes, his Democratic allies in the committee and among House and Senate leadership claim to have approved what they call additional efficiencies to help offset a potential shortfall of more than $700 million.

The committee’s Democratic majority is supporting a $400 million Wall Street borrowing as a way to avoid securitizing state lottery revenue and extending a schedule for paying down Maine’s unfunded pension liability.

One spinoff could be, advocates assert, that associated savings of at least $66 million would be freed up for transfer to state reserves that currently amount to only about $50 million.

Appropriations Democrats were said to have restored at least $50 million in Baldacci-proposed cutbacks in human services spending.

The revised Democratic spending package also would rely on fees on nonmotorized watercraft, according to Baldacci administration officials.

The new fees, which apply to canoes, kayaks and sailboats used on inland as well as tidal waters, would cost $9 per boat plus $1 agent’s fee for a total of $10. (Rowboats used for commercial fishing tenders would be exempted.)

Boat owners who have fishing licenses or combination hunting-fishing licenses would get a permit for their vessel, meaning they wouldn’t have to pay the $10 fees. If there were two members of a household with licenses, two permits would be given.

The revenues are to be divided between the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Marine Resources departments.

Earlier, IFW had proposed making permanent $3 increases in hunting licenses. That has been pared down to $2, so in effect hunters would be paying a net $1 less for their licenses.

Republicans, urging that budget deliberations be extended, had proposed a continuing resolution to guarantee current level funding for state government through the first three months of the new fiscal year would obviate any need to make final decisions by April 1.

If no budget legislation is enacted by about April 1, two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate would be needed to pass a bill with provisions that could be put into effect for the July 1 start of the new budget cycle.

By acting before April 1 or thereabouts, Democrats could use their House and Senate majorities to pass legislation and then activate a parliamentary procedure to put the measure into effect sooner than normal.


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