Majority Democrats in the Maine Legislature approved an $11.3 billion budget in the late hours of Thursday night after repeated and unsuccessful efforts by minority Republicans in both chambers to force spending curbs on the runaway costs of various programs, including Medicaid.
The budget now being sent to Governor Janet Mills (D) for approval marks a near doubling of the 2016-17 $6.3 biennial budget of less than a decade ago. One contentious issue over the past two attempts to pass a supplemental spending bill in the last several weeks has been the $118 million shortfall in Medicaid spending which Democrats say is covered in this budget, but Republican leaders say remains unresolved for next year.
“The problem is, they don’t have any willingness to address the spending spree,” said Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) of his counterparts across the aisle. “The real losers tonight are the people of the state of Maine who in the short term might see some benefit from the spending, but it’s unsustainable. We’ve crossed that threshold.”
Because previous efforts to attach an emergency preamble to the bill that would have allowed it to take immediate effect failed, it will now take 90 days to release funds under the legislature’s rules. In order to access the new spending before the next fiscal year begins on July 1, Democrat leadership adjourned the session Sine Die with the bill’s passage, effectively ending the 132nd Legislature’s first session.
“A Democrat only, unbalanced budget passed today and then they adjourned the legislature so that this fraud of a budget can go into effect,” House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) said as he exited the state Capitol, adding: “They did the most unbelievable power power trip I’ve ever seen by basically expelling one of our members while she sat in her seat, not allowing her to vote which disenfranchised not only the people of Auburn but also the people of the whole state of Maine.”
Rep. Faulkingham called the process “a total disregard for nearly half the people of Maine” and went on to say “your government is dysfunctional, it’s failing you. They had no fiscal responsibility and no willingness to look at waste, fraud and abuse.”
In particular, Faulkingham called out how Maine’s government has been managing the MaineCare system, which he asserted is failing program integrity audits.
“It is now clear Democrats will not prioritize, reduce of maintain spending at current levels,” Rep. Matthew McIntyre (R-Lowell) said on Thursday. “In the midst of a budget shortfall, they plan on raising spending by more than $1 billion first, and then raising taxes later this spring.”
Democrats adjourned the legislature nearly three months early in order to avoid any real limits on spending, Rep. McIntyre said.
While the budget passed without Republican input was slightly slimmed from the $11.6 billion Gov. Mills requested earlier this year, minority legislators call the changes a shell game of shifting costs from today to a future showdown.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="37016 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=37016">17 Comments
im amazed how they get away with playing dumb. they know taxes will go up. the choose to play dumb and pretend they didnt know…. but they do… the people who pay for these politicans know exactly what they are doing… indirect consequences are really the main goal and purpose of these “deep state” actors.
Able bodied people without children should not get free health care, housing, or food. The Dems want to give away money from the makers. Also, the state has failed to investigate those who qualified for free health care because they lost work during the Pandemic; these people are working now, but the state has not removed them from the freebie. Dems buy votes by doling out freebies.
We are living in the kingdom of lies and lucifer is in charge. Augusta needs an exorcism. Praying for the oppressors to be corrected.
We better flip the state in 2026….otherwise we’re done folks.
Unflipping believeable. Not only do we have higher taxes and Somali crooks to contend with, but a damn corrupt crooked bunch of BOOBS at the state capitol driving this state further into hell.
I like BOOBS, just not in politics. Hey, sounds like a 2026 t-shirt/bumper stickah. I’m going to scrap my pitchforks and torch idea for something more positive. It ought to be a little weird in the church parking lot, but hey.
For the party that claims to fight for democracy, there is no negotiations, no compromise and absolutely no democracy. Democrats rule through special interest and damn the average Maine taxpayer. Maine will get a lot more expensive to live in.
No democracy in this state, only bureaucracy!
As long as ranked choice voting is in play, things will never change
So how many days do I have to spend outside of the State of Maine to avoid being a Maine income tax payer? Asking for a friend, er the friend is my Wife.
Total disregard for the Maine taxpayer in general and a focus on punishing the producers in the state. But just as we have seen in NY and CA, producers have options, they will leave the state for lower taxes. Taxpayers are just a “revenue” source for useless liberal pet projects. “Asylum Seekers” are encouraged to come to the state by the thousands to create a permanent underclass voting block. So many political races are decided by a 100 votes or less, the Dems know this and seek to put their thumbs on the political scale. If common sense voters don’t push back soon, the independent Maine way of life will be gone forever.
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Let the new Americans pay.
Put Fecteau out next election along with Milles and Shanna.
Take back Maine!!!
This budget is just a lashup and they will be back for more in a wink.
Dems shifted costs you, your kids and your parents. Mills minions dont give a dam about struggling workers or elders. We are “revenue resources”.
They give a dam about their social issues and force you and to to find and accept it; even if against our individual moral standards.
Maine has the MOST spineless GOP in the entire nation. Why do they even give these Leninist losers the time of day in Augusta. Maine GOP…Dunno if you care, but they are laughing at you. Just stop showing up for debate on these issues. Make em own it.