AUGUSTA – State lawmakers continue to work to balance the budget, garnering bi-partisan support when they can. The Appropriations Committee has voted on many of Gov. John Baldacci’s suggested cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, totaling more than $90 million for the biennium.

But the committee delayed voting on some of the governor’s more controversial proposals until late Wednesday night. Those include a $7 million cut in funding for hospital-based physicians, more than $8 million in funding cuts for childless adults enrolled in MaineCare, known as “non-cats,” and the privatization of Bangor’s Elizabeth Levinson Center.

“I’m hoping very much that we can get these things finished up tonight,” said Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, co-chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday.

Rotundo said she is optimistic the committee will complete its work on the DHHS cuts in part due to bipartisanship.

“We’ve worked really hard to find common ground and agreement,” Rotundo said.

She said her committee has long valued working across the aisle to make deals, especially when facing contentious issues.

“At every step of the way, we’ve tried to find compromises that would bring a majority of people along, in a bipartisan group,” she said. “We know we do better work when we do bipartisan work and the people of Maine are better served that way.”

The Appropriations Committee has voted in favor of more than $45 million of the governor’s proposed cuts to DHHS, distributed over the two-year budget cycle.

But the committee has also rejected, sometimes unanimously, about $30 million of Baldacci’s cuts. Appropriations voted against the governor’s proposals that would have eliminated $10,000 in funding for the Maine Special Olympics, $41,000 in funding for the Maine AIDS Alliance, $150,000 in funding for the Hancock County Drug Court, and $2.4 million in funding for sexual assault and domestic violence, family planning and other support service programs.

Lucky Hollander, DHHS’ director of legislative relations, said decisions facing legislators are difficult.

“There’s no way you can listen to the stories of people and not take it seriously,” Hollander said. The Appropriations Committee has heard from many Mainers who rely on the very programs the governor has proposed to cut, during a series of public hearings and a rally held at the State House last week.

Rotundo said the committee is working to reflect the values of Mainers while putting the budget together.

“The people of Maine really want to know we are doing our work when it comes to greater efficiencies in government and eliminating services that aren’t necessary,” Rotundo said. “We’re also hearing the message about not wanting additional taxes. But as we listen to testimony, it puts a human face on these cuts and it’s very important to remember we are talking about human lives, we aren’t just talking about numbers.”

The committee voted in favor of compromised cuts for the funding of food stamps to legal immigrants, reimbursement fees to adoptive and foster families, and a modified prescription drug plan for people making less than $10,400. The committee also voted in favor of a $25 enrollment fee for parents of children in the state children’s health insurance program, known as SCHIP.