Last week, Gov. Janet Mills addressed the Maine House and Senate about her first biennial budget proposal. This budget would fund Maine government for the next two years at a cost of about $8 billion. In general, it adds funding for voter-approved Medicaid expansion, education and revenue sharing, while staying within current revenue projections, meaning that it won’t raise taxes or tap into the “rainy day fund.” It’s now up to the Legislature to take her proposal and craft the state budget.

I’m still reviewing the governor’s budget proposal and getting feedback from folks in my district, but I have a few initial takeaways that I wanted to share with you:

First, this is a relatively modest budget proposal. Last fall, outgoing Gov. Paul LePage created his own budget recommendation just before leaving office, which proposed the same level of spending. Gov. Mills made a campaign promise not to raise taxes, and this budget proposal outlines one way to achieve that goal.

The governor’s budget proposal also bumps up the state’s investment in education to $126 million over two years, and increases revenue sharing to municipalities from 2.5 percent in the first year and 3 percent in the second year. These measures are important, not only because they invest in our schools and communities, but also because they take some of the pressure off property tax payers to fund local services. Many municipalities have been forced to raise property taxes to cover basic services over the past few years, which has been particularly challenging for seniors and folks living on fixed incomes.

Medicaid expansion funding is another important part of the governor’s budget proposal. Fully funding the expansion will allow 70,000 low-income Mainers to access affordable health coverage and inject almost $500 million in federal funds into Maine’s economy. That will help rural hospitals and health care providers, and reduce the burden on businesses that pay for their employee’s health coverage. It’s good for the Maine economy, and it’s the right thing to do.

I’m also pleased to see that the governor’s budget proposal would add ten State Troopers and five State Police Sergeants. These additions should help fill existing staffing shortages and meet the need for 24-hour patrols in certain parts of the state.

This proposal is a strong start to the long but important process of crafting a two-year state budget, and there are opportunities to build on this framework. My priorities are the same as they have always been — investing in high-quality education, in career and technical training,  ensuring affordable health care for all, growing good paying jobs in rural Maine communities, addressing the opioid crisis and protecting the environment. I look forward to advocating for these priorities during the Legislature’s budget-writing process.

Public hearings on the proposed budget will begin in the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee in the coming weeks. This will be an opportunity for experts and members of the public to tell the Legislature what they think the next two-year budget should look like.

If you’d like to follow along or participate in these hearings, you can view a schedule and listen to live or archived audio at the committee website here:http://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/AFA.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at jamesdill207@gmail.com, or to call my office at (207) 287-1515 if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the budget or anything else. My line is always open.