AUGUSTA — With the end of the legislative session less than a month away, Republicans on Thursday leveled criticism against Democrats for not yet offering a new budget plan.
Republicans have continued to express concern that an $11.3 billion, two-year budget passed earlier this year by Democrats falls short of fully funding the state’s Medicaid program called MaineCare.
“We have about three weeks left and we have not seen a budget document from the Democrats,” said House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R- Winter Harbor). “We have not seen how they are going to cover that gap and what they are going to do.”
In response, Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) said the budget is a work in progress but will likely come together very late in the legislative session.
“I think we’ll be working on it for a while, pretty much right close to the end,” he said.
Gattine said the continuing services budget passed in March is designed to keep state government open when the new fiscal year starts on July 1. The second budget they are now working on — which he pegged at about $100 million — is an effort to decide whether to pursue other initiatives first proposed by the governor in January.
Those include making the state’s free community college program permanent and potentially raising more revenues by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 per pack, increasing taxes on cannabis and instituting taxes on streaming services.
“We’re plowing through those things,” Gattine said. “It’s a process of really scrutinizing everything that’s been proposed.”
When asked about Democratic priorities in the budget, Gattine said he wasn’t comfortable calling out specific programs, but that Maine is “a state that still has tremendous unmet needs.”
“The goal of the budget is to really set the stage where we can do the most good possible,” he said.
During their weekly briefing, Republicans also said they are worried that other big problems have yet to be addressed with a June 18 target adjournment date looming.
Assistant House Minority Leader Katrina Smith (R-Palermo) said they are waiting to hear plans from Democrats to lower energy prices by amending a program that gives solar subsidies. She also mentioned the continued financial instability of nursing homes as an ongoing issue without a solution.
“We still haven’t seen a bill that is going to go to the root cause of these problems,” she said. “We are ready to find solutions but unfortunately in these 19 days I don’t think we are going to see anything come forward.”
Earlier this week, the association representing nursing homes lobbied lawmakers to include $10 million in needed funds in the new budget, saying it was part of Gov. Janet Mills’ original proposal.
When it comes to MaineCare, Gattine said the current services budget includes “billions” for the program, but that projections show more funds will be needed.
“I always tell people the budget is like a big puzzle, and you have to get all the pieces out on the table and make sure they are all flipped up then you start putting the puzzle together,” he said.