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September 10, 2007

Should Maine cut its legislative staff?

Maine legislative staffers are the latest target in an effort to cut $10 million from the state budget. The Legislature supports 156 full-time staffers and 40 seasonal staffers, more than most part-time legislatures in the country.

New Hampshire, which has the largest state legislature in the country, employs 147 full-time staff, while Vermont, with a legislature similar in size to Maine's, employs only 57 full-timers, according to the Associated Press.

Jason Fortin, of the conservative think tank the Maine Heritage Policy Center, questioned whether Maine needs all of its staffers. But Christopher St. John of the Maine Center for Economic Policy says those staffers are valuable and productive. Staff analyze policy, research constituent complaints and study the efficiency of state programs, supporting legislators who often hold down full-time jobs.

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