AUGUSTA — State lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee are scrutinizing the supplemental budget line by line to settle up a $438 million shortfall.

On Monday, the panel took preliminary votes on several cuts proposed by Gov. John Baldacci and reviewed by the Legislature’s policy committees, including areas such as agriculture, conservation and forestry; business, research and economic development; criminal justice and public safety; insurance and financial services; transportation and utilities and energy.

As has been the committee’s custom, any cuts that would not have received a unanimous committee vote were set aside for another time. Members concerned about the impacts of certain proposals still have time to find alternative solutions.

But despite the cordial atmosphere, partisan differences loom over the proceedings.

State Rep. Sawin Millett of Waterford, the committee’s top Republican, requested that all one-time savings proposals be set aside. Republicans have long said government spending in Maine is bloated and Millett said members of his party would like the opportunity to review whether any of the one-time suggestions can be made permanent.

“We’re anxious to try to minimize the amount to which the next Legislature and the next governor have to deal with what we’ve come to call ‘the cliff,’ which is basically those items that have one-time savings or one-time uses in this biennium that won’t be there in the out biennium,” he said. “So to the extent that we can continue an ongoing reduction by making that position elimination, that cut permanent or the savings ongoing, we want to try to do that.”

Avoiding budget gimmicks will aid future lawmakers, Millett said, adding that to date, the state has used about $700 million in one-time stimulus money — none of which will be available in future years.

“The (next) budget would be almost insurmountable without major tax increases unless the economy turns around and so we’re trying to hopefully set up the next governor and Legislature with more opportunities rather than an immediate dilemma,” he said.

Last week, the pair of committees in charge of the largest areas of state spending, education and health and human services, rejected many of the cuts proposed by Baldacci.

“New ideas will be necessary before we can pull the strings together. The gap is pretty wide,” Millett said.

State Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, said she’s been keeping a list of alternative ideas for savings that have been suggested by stakeholders impacted by the cuts in health and human services and is optimistic about finding solutions that minimize harm to those receiving care.

“I have been talking to the health and human services committee, as well as talking to providers and there has been some activity in the works that they weren’t ready to talk about (last week),” she said. “Some of them seem quite promising and I am looking forward to hearing about that.”

Craven said she’s been fielding calls from many concerned constituents who fear the home health care services they receive through MaineCare will be eliminated, a possibility she said is not on the table.

One couple receives about $8,000 a year in services, but it would cost the state more than $100,000 a year if they went to a nursing home, she said. Their home services are secure, but depending on what happens during the budget process, people on waiting lists for home health care may eventually be forced into the more costly care.

While her committee is open to all suggestions at this point, Craven said it’s still too early to discuss the potential for tax increases.

On Wednesday, Baldacci will unveil an updated budget proposal, which will take into account the most up-to-date state revenue information.

For more information on the actions taken by the Appropriations Committee, visit http://tiny.cc/GZXrq

rmetzler@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link