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June 15, 2009

Bonds, highway budget cap session

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Lawmakers worked out a compromise to pay for highway work and passed a $150 million bond proposal in the final hours of the 124th legislative session.

Both parties settled on a two-year, $630 million highway fund budget that addresses some road maintenance needs while retaining state transportation-related jobs and scuttling a proposed gas-tax hike, according to the Bangor Daily News. The highway fund is part of the $1.2 billion transportation budget.

Lawmakers also passed a bill early Saturday morning that asks voters to approve $150 million in general obligation bonds over the next 18 months to pay for highway construction, research and development, environmental protection, infrastructure projects at colleges and universities and land preservation. The $150 million compromise was less than the $275 million bond package Democrats had discussed in recent days, and far less than the amount originally sought by Gov. John Baldacci.

The session, dominated by budget cuts, was gaveled to a close at 2:16 a.m. Saturday. Earlier, lawmakers passed a $5.8 million, two-year budget that was $500 million less than the previous budget.

The bond package will go to Maine voters in four parts over three elections:

• $71.2 million in transportation projects to be voted on in November.

• $25 million in research and development, community investment and business funding, including $8 million for redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, to go to voters in June 2010.

• $15.5 million for water and wastewater projects, energy projects and higher education funding, to go to voters in June 2010.

• $10 million for working waterfront, Land for Maine's Future and state park improvements, to be voted on in November 2010.

 

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