AUGUSTA (AP) – Components of an $83 million state borrowing package were more at issue than the bottom line as the Legislature’s finance committee began its review Monday of the bond issue proposal that’s scheduled for House and Senate votes later this week.

The amount to be borrowed, and how the funds would be apportioned, were negotiated by Republicans and majority Democrats well in advance of the Appropriations Committee’s review Monday. But for most of the day, small groups of lawmakers met behind closed doors as lobbyists sought to protect their slices of the pie.

A strong committee vote in favor of the package could speed its passage during Friday’s special session. Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans in the House and Senate, but a two-thirds vote is needed to send the bond package on to voters in November, making bipartisan support critical.

The biggest portions of the borrowing package include $34 million dollars for transportation projects and $20 million for jobs. The package also includes $9 million for education, $10 million for land conservation and $10 million for clean water, environmental and health projects.

Since the allocations were agreed to earlier this month, a few lawmakers have taken jabs at some of the figures.

Sen. Lynn Bromley, a South Portland Democrat who co-chairs the Business, Research and Economic Development Committee, said the possible closing of military sites and sales of two paper mills made strong arguments for investing more in the state’s economy.

House Speaker John Richardson, D-Brunswick, expressed similar concerns and also suggested a modest increase in the overall total figure to be borrowed. But Republicans quickly warned that efforts to increase borrowing beyond the agreed-upon total of $83 million could jeopardize the entire package.

Environmental activists said they were worried that the bond talks could lead to a move to repeal a newly enacted law that imposes fees on paint manufacturers or wholesalers for lead hazard education programs. The fees amount to 25 cents per gallon.

Under one scenario, the new law imposing the paint fees would be repealed if paint manufacturers agreed to donate funds to pay for the lead hazard education and prevention programs themselves. That alternative was unacceptable to the Environmental Health Strategy Center, a lead proponent of the paint fee law.

“Hands off the lead law. Do not touch,” the environmental group’s Michael Belliveau said Monday.

Maine Better Transportation Association said the current bond proposal for transportation falls far short of other recent transportation bonds and last week called for increasing its share of the package. But by Monday, advocates were more focused on protecting the amounts that had been allocated.

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