Supplemental budget OK'ed by committee
The Legislature's Appropriations Committee unanimously passed a supplemental budget that closes a $310 million budget hole.
According to a press release from the office of Senate President Libby Mitchell, higher revenue projections in March and an additional $85 million in federal aid shrunk the previous budget shortfall of $438 million. The supplemental budget restores $26 million for K-12 education, $63 million for health and human services, $8 million for higher education and $11 million for Municipal Revenue Sharing. The supplemental budget also appropriates $7.1 million to the state's Rainy Day Fund.
Despite the additional revenue and federal aid, school districts across the state are still planning to lay off teachers or eliminate programs and some towns will likely be forced to raise property taxes to cover the loss of state aid, according to the Bangor Daily News. Social service agencies say the budget cuts will still adversely affect programs that serve the elderly and the disabled.
The budget now has to be approved by the full Legislature.
Go to the article from the Bangor Daily News >>
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