New Federal Money Helps Fill Maine’s Budget Gap

Thanks to the U.S. Senate passing legislation that will extend enhanced federal medicaid assistance to the states, Governor Baldacci has outlined about $94 million in proposed budget restorations.

Maine’s U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, as well as U.S. Representatives Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree all voted in favor of this federal action.

According to a press release from the Governor’s office… he proposes to:

• Fill the $35 million placeholder proposed in the current budget for increased federal Medicaid support;

• Restore $33.6 million in proposed reductions in health and human services, including proposed cuts to the Drugs for the Elderly program, hospitals, nursing homes, service providers and crisis services;

• Restore $5.6 million to a proposed reduction in the Circuit Breaker Program, which benefits 13,000 low- and middle-income homeowners;

• Restore $5 million to municipal revenue sharing in fiscal year 2011;

• Restore $5 million to General Purpose Aid to Education;

• Restore $1.1 million for schools who voted to support the State’s education reform law but whose partner districts rejected administrative consolidation;

• Restore $580,000 for adult education;

• Provide $470,000 in debt service for the University of Maine System to bring facilities at the University of Maine into ADA compliance and remove asbestos and mercury contamination;

• Provide $200,000 for the Maine Uncontrolled Hazardous Sites Cleanup; Restore $80,000 to the Maine Judiciary.

Read his full Press Release by clicking here.