AUGUSTA (AP) – The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee on Monday opened an extended review of Gov. John Baldacci’s plans to cover a $95-million revenue shortfall and meet other unanticipated costs.

Yet another reduction of revenue estimates is expected next month and the first round of budget hearings is scheduled to take two weeks.

The first witness, Maine State Police Chief Patrick Fleming, told Appropriations panelists Monday that his agency could save about $61,000 this year and next by eliminating the use of staff pagers and reducing the number of telephone lines in offices and barracks.

He said another $3,000 could be saved by coordinating aircraft details with other state agencies.

Additionally, Fleming said a vacant position of identification specialist could go without filling.

But to come up with further savings, Fleming said state police probably would have to look at more personnel reductions.

As the hearings got under way, House Speaker Glenn Cummings issued a statement encouraging the public to get involved.

“Maine has a well-deserved reputation around the country for having an active and engaged citizenry,” said Cummings, a state representative from Portland who like Baldacci is a Democrat.

“Our legislators are accessible, our process is open and the results are transparent. I hope that as the committee moves through this process, the people of Maine will follow along and weigh in as well.”

Baldacci’s supplemental budget package would not raise taxes or fees or touch rainy day reserves in the Budget Stabilization Fund.

When the package was unveiled earlier this month, officials said about $40 million in savings to be applied against the revenue shortfall would come from cutbacks in human services, with a focus on reducing benefits to people whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid.

Administration officials said an unspecified merger of natural resource agencies – looking to combine four existing departments into one or two – would be counted on to produce $250,000 in savings in the biennium.

Cummings noted that more than 80 percent of the state budget being dedicated to education, including higher education, and human services, and said the bulk of the proposed cuts will affect those areas.

“Democrats and Republicans came together last year to pass a budget with more than two-thirds support. I am hopeful that if the people of Maine stay engaged in this process, the two parties will come together again on a balanced proposal,” Cummings said.

Speaking for the Maine Daily Newspaper Network, Assistant Advertising Director Mike Kearney of the Bangor Daily News urged the committee not to endorse shifting notice of state employment vacancies from newspapers to the Internet, which has been estimated to be worth $200,000 in General Fund savings.

“While the employment advertising category has shifted somewhat to the Web, newspapers still represent the best way to reach the best candidates in the shortest amount of time,” Kearney said.

AP-ES-01-28-08 1507EST

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