Lawmakers in Augusta are battling in Augusta this week over the second part of the state’s proposed biennial budget. But in the House, it hit a roadblock when an intra-party disagreement among Democrats erupted with a half dozen progressive members of their caucus temporarily blocking passage.
On Wednesday afternoon, all but one of the Democratic lawmakers who voted alongside the Republicans flipped their votes back, joining the rest of their party in support of the bill and allowing it to advance in the legislative process.
Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers advanced a partisan, multi-million dollar spending package that continued to fund all state services at the same level for the next two years.
This came after negotiations across the aisle fell apart over an emergency $120 million supplemental spending bill intended to address a funding shortfall for MaineCare after Democrats rejected the welfare reform proposals that Gov. Janet Mills (D) had included in her proposed language, including limits on general assistance and rental assistance programs.
When it was clear that Republicans wouldn’t budge without these reforms, Democratic lawmakers pivoted, ditching the $120 million supplemental spending bill in favor of a more extensive spending package that also included MaineCare funding.
In order to ensure that the funding included in this budget would be made available by the start of the next fiscal year in July, Democrats opted to pursue extraordinary parliamentary maneuvers instead of coming to the table and earning support from Republicans.
At the heart of the Legislature’s current budgetary battle are all of the additional taxes and expenditures that were set aside earlier this year. These represent changes to the status quo in Maine, as the previous budget bill served to extend all funding at its current levels.
Approval of LD 210 — the legislation representing these changes — was stalled this morning after a handful of Democrat lawmakers voted against its passage.
Among those blocking the bill from moving forward were Reps. Sally Jeane Cluchey (D-Bowdoinham), Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell), Grayson B. Lookner (D-Portland), Rafael Leo Macias (D-Topsham), Nina Azella Milliken (D-Blue Hill), and Sophia B. Warren (D-Scarborough).
The Senate then moved to accept the secondary budget in a roll call vote of 19-15 in which all Democrats supported the bill and all Republicans opposed it.
Republican senators attempted to introduce a number of amendments to the budget, but all these proposals were “indefinitely postponed” along partisan lines.
LD 210 was then sent back to the House in non-concurrence. In order for this budget bill to make it to the next stage of the legislative process, it appears that some Democrat lawmakers would need to change their minds on the proposal.
Rep. Thomas A. Lavigne (R-Berwick) was absent at the time this vote was taken, and Rep. Abigail W. Griffin (R-Levant) and Rep. Holly Rae Eaton (D-Deer Isle) were both excused.
When the House once again took up this bill, Rep. Warren was the only Democrat to maintain her opposition to the budget.
The budget has now been sent back to the Senate for concurrence.
House Republicans issued a one-page fact sheet on Wednesday that outlined their objections to the current budget bill, including record-high spending, new taxes and concerns over fairness and accountability.
A separate effort by Rep. Gary Drinkwater (R-Milford) to gather signatures to put a question on the November ballot that could allow voters to recall the already-approved partisan budget failed to meet the necessary threshold of approximately 67,000, the Secretary of State’s office said earlier this week.
This is a developing story.
