The Legislature covered the budget shortfall without breaking its promise to vulnerable Mainers

Recently, the state’s supplemental budget was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. As the time neared for its passage, many thoughts came to my mind. Some were about all the collaborative work the Appropriations Committee and staff had put in to refine the fiscal details. Other thoughts I had were about the impact of each dollar raised and spent through government on behalf of the people of Maine.

This was the most wrenching aspect for me, knowing that kitchen table issues go way beyond political spin and become necessities for each individual and family in our state. The remarks I made to the Senate the night we enacted the budget were made in that context.

When the Legislature started its debate on the supplemental budget, I spoke about the long and painful journey we as representatives traveled together over the past months in making decisions about the budget. The journey certainly never got any easier. But focus on what we accomplished:

Ninety-eight percent of the budget reflected bipartisan agreement reached in an atmosphere of respect, openness and goodwill by the Appropriations Committee. Committee members worked with a strong sense of purpose to find common ground among the difficult issues we dealt with.

While we are all disappointed we could not agree on that last two percent, that two percent represented honest, philosophical differences between the two parties about health care coverage. These differences in values are to be respected.

The budget:

• Maintained a safety net for the most vulnerable in this state

• Contained no new broad based taxes

• Contained real, sustainable cuts

• Avoided short term cuts that result in false savings

• Creates greater efficiencies in government where possible

In a bipartisan manner, lawmakers rejected many of the most egregious of the cuts proposed in the governor’s supplemental budget, and worked to maintain a safety net for Maine’s hard working families. The budget rejected $27 million of the governor’s proposed cuts to human services and accepted approximately $170 million in cuts and other savings to state government.

It restored funds to mental health services, foster and adult protective services, and mental retardation services. It rejected cuts to purchased social services like domestic violence prevention, sexual assault and AIDS prevention. It reduced cuts to Head Start and children’s mental health. Homemaker and personal care services for the elderly and disabled were preserved, as was funding for the Maine Special Olympics. It protected healthcare for some of the poorest and sickest adults in this state, helping them to manage their chronic conditions so they can continue to work.

The budget also contained a $34.1 million reduction to general purpose aid to education, only $11.1 million of which is a reduction to the increase of the state’s contribution to the costs of K-12 education. It also restored $5 million of the governor’s proposed $9.3 million cut to the university system and community college system. It restored the independence of the Office of Program Evaluation and Goverment Accountability, OPEGA.

These are tough and difficult times for the people of Maine as we face economic uncertainties nationally. The citizens of this state recognized the need to make painful choices in this budget. We did that, and worked our hardest to be fair, thorough, and principled in the process.

This budget maintained the safety net for our most vulnerable, continued investing in our future through educational opportunity and small business growth, contained no new broad based taxes and contained no one-time money from the rainy day fund.

It reflected, in short, what I believe the people of Maine need and want from us now. This is budget reflected the fiscal reality the state now finds itself in, while still honoring our Maine values and promise to protect the communities and hard working families of our state.

Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, is the Senate Chair of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.