AUGUSTA, Maine — There’s one month to go until the Maine Legislature adjourns for the year, and they're still waiting to see a new state budget.
The Governor proposed a more than $8 billion, two-year budget back in February.
The Appropriations Committee that’s been working on the budget since then set a deadline of Memorial Day to vote out a budget, but it didn’t happen. They’re still working to resolve differences on spending between the two parties. So Friday morning, Gov. Janet Mills called the leaders of the committee to the Blaine House to try to encourage them to get it done.
"She tried to help us focus on a direction we were going, try to help us work through some of those big issues," says GOP Sen. Jim Hamper of Oxford, a former co-chair of the committee.
Asked if the Governor tried the hurry the process along, Hamper said she did.
"To a certain degree. Everybody wants to hurry us along."
There are several major issues still needed to be resolved between the parties.
One of those -- Gov. Mills' proposal to raise the minimum starting pay for teachers to $40,000 -- was settled with a compromise Friday evening . The increase will be phased in over three years, starting in the 20-21 school year.
But other issues remain, including property tax relief, according to longtime committee member Rep. John Martin (D-Eagle Lake).
"We are still working revenue sharing questions, the amount of money going back to citizens for tax relief," Martin said.
Several committee members said they were confident they would get the budget finished in plenty of time for the full Legislature to deal with it before the end of June.
The committee continued working and swapping proposals between the parties Friday night. Negotiations may continue Saturday.