In back-to-back votes, the House and Senate gave final enactment to a document that, in the words of Sen. Justin Alfond (D-Portland) will touch every Mainer “hard.” All that’s left in the process of enacting the budget is Gov. John Baldacci’s signature, which is scheduled to take place at 3:30 p.m. today in the State House.
The budget passed in the House by a final vote of 119-26 and in the Senate, 33-2. Members of both parties in both chambers said the document represented an acceptable outcome, considering a sinking economy that forced the Legislature to cut more than $1.4 billion in services currently being provided.
“This budget is not a budget that anyone feels happy about,” said Rep. Emily Cain (D-Orono) the House chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, which voted unanimously last week in support of the budget. “This budget is not a document that either party will point to as representing their wills, preferences or agendas. It is a reflection of the current economic times.”
Rep. Sawin Millett (R-Waterford) the ranking House Republican on the Appropriations Committee, echoed Cain’s comments, but urged his colleagues to prepare to revisit the budget in response to further erosion of the economy. House Minority Leader Joshua Tardy (R-Newport) agreed.
“I urge the members of this body to prepare for more heavy lifting and difficult decisions ahead,” Tardy said.
Rep. Douglas Thomas (R-Ripley) one of 26 House members who voted against the budget, said he did so because the document pushes too much burden to property taxpayers in areas such as a reduction in state revenue sharing.
In the Senate, the theme was the same: Congratulatory about the bipartisan consensus but troubled by the deep cuts throughout state government. Sen. Richard Rosen (R-Bucksport) put the size of the cuts in perspective by pointing out that the $1.4 billion revenue shortage was larger than the entire payroll for state employees in the General Fund.
“If we decided to make up the money with a tax increase, we would have had to more than double the sales tax,” said Rosen, the ranking Senate Republican on the Appropriations Committee. “We have no choice but to accept the revenue forecast, come up with a plan and enact it. The most critically important component of this budget that’s missing is a plan to deal with the future.”
One aspect of the budget is language that calls for a bipartisan commission to find another $30 million in cuts that will be enacted in the 2011 fiscal year. The commission, which will consist of the Appropriations Committee, will meet through the summer so its findings can be enacted in the next legislative session.
Senate Minority Leader Kevin Raye (R-Perry) said the budget was better because of Democrats’ willingness to listen to Republicans, even though Democrats have majorities in both chambers, meaning they could have pushed any budget they wanted through at an earlier date.
“Those of us on the Republican side of the aisle would have liked to see more structural reforms, but that is the nature of bipartisan compromise,” said Raye. “The bill before us is an example of how the people’s government should work.”
Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Allagash) was one of several lawmakers who bemoaned the budget’s impact on state employees, who face 20 shutdown days in the next two years as well as new contributions to their health insurance premiums and the elimination of merit and longevity pay increases. Legislators will also pay more for health insurance and lose cost-of-living pay increases.
“If we do have another problem in two years, I certainly hope no one asks me to reach into anyone’s pocket again,” said Jackson.
Baldacci, in a prepared statement, said the Legislature had overcome a “daunting task.”
“We must keep a cautious eye on the state and national economy,” the governor said. “If we can continue to approach the challenges facing the state with the same spirit of consensus and bipartisanship that guided the budget, we can meet any challenge.”
