AUGUSTA, Maine — Most of the Maine Legislature has gone home, but the work goes on to try to reach an agreement on a new, two-year budget. The first part of that budget was passed at the end of March, and funds programs at their current level.
But lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee are still negotiating over how to spend more than $900 million in projected new revenue over the coming two years.
Committee members agreed Monday on two big items: More than $187 million to increase the state’s share of K-12 school funding to 55 percent that will finally meet a goal set by Maine voters 17 years ago. They also agreed to use more than $100 million to increase revenue sharing to towns and cities over the next two years, finally restoring those payments to the level they were at more than 12 years ago.
There are still a number of other budget issues being negotiated by the two parties. The committee needs to have a new budget approved before the Legislature returns to Augusta on June 30.