AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Legislature’s budget-writing committee on Friday endorsed a $42 million bill that replenishes the rainy day fund while also restoring money for programs Gov. Paul LePage wanted to cut.

Democratic Rep. Peggy Rotundo, co-chair of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, said the 8-5 party line vote Friday represents a compromise with the Republican governor.

“In divided government, you must work together in good faith. You can’t expect to get all or nothing,” she said.

The proposal to help shore up the budget through June 2015 maintains the governor’s plan to return $21 million to the rainy day fund that was tapped to restore revenue-sharing money to towns and cities.

It also would restore the governor’s proposed cuts including $9.6 million for local school departments, nearly $500,000 for the Head Start program, more than $600,000 for student scholarship funds, $200,000 for the Baxter School for the Deaf and $4.5 million for merit and longevity pay for state employees, Rotundo said.

House Republican Leader Ken Fredette, of Newport, said Democrats added $18 million in new spending to the bill in which the governor originally proposed using state employee health insurance and education fund surpluses to restore the rainy day fund, something the governor deemed necessary to protect the state’s credit rating.

“It’s unbelievable to me that in the face of all of these budget challenges, Democrats’ first instinct is to increase spending. This is no way to govern,” said Fredette, who called on Democrats on the committee to approve a “clean bill” without the add-ons.

LePage vetoed the state budget last year because it included tax increases.

But Rotundo said that the restorations are funded primarily through surplus casino revenues, a balance in the Dirigo health fund and a reduction in Pine Tree Zone tax credits.

Lawmakers have been working without help from the governor to fill a roughly $90 million hole in the $6.3 billion, two-year budget that ends June 30, 2015.

But while the governor said he won’t participate in the supplemental budget-writing process, he did introduce a bill to put $21 million back in the rainy day fund, something he deemed necessary to maintain the state’s credit rating. It was that bill that Democrats voted to amend on Friday. It now goes to the House for votes, possibly next week.

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