124th Maine State Legislature Winds Down

No legislative activity is more demanding than the discussions surrounding the passing of the state’s budget. It is a particularly thankless task in a year such as this one, when adjustments must be made and programs must be reduced or eliminated to produce a balanced budget against the backdrop of declining revenues as a result of the national economic downturn.

The good news is -- this year the Legislature produced such an austerity budget by making the difficult choices of program reductions rather than resulting to tax increases or budget gimmicks. Legislators from both parties worked together, using the blueprint provided by Governor Baldacci to produce a final state budget that will be approximately $2.69 billion. To put that in context, the budget ten years earlier was $2.65 billion. The rate of inflation over those ten years exceeded 20% -- and many elements of the state budget -- such as energy costs or health insurance increased at an even faster rate.

This year’s budget contains some hard choices -- but they mirror the difficult choices and priorities that almost every Maine family has been making for the last few years. Having served on the Health and Human Services Committee, one of the areas that took the largest cuts to the budget, I understood in detail what the choices meant for some of Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. At that same time, the ongoing conversations with neighbors in the River Valley kept me focused on the need to manage this budget shortfall without raising taxes or fees.

In the end, the budget was an opportunity for the Legislature to come together. It was supported by strong bi-partisan majorities -- 110 to 35 in the House of Representatives and 31 to 2 in the State Senate. There were a few people who felt the proposals went too far, or not far enough, but overall the package was balanced and supported by the leadership of both chambers and both political parties.

Moments such as the passage of the budget are hopeful ones -- because they suggest we are not bound to partisan bickering and political game-playing. If there is one thing I hear over and over from the people of District 92 it is this message -- get the job done and don’t play politics. It is easy to stand on the sidelines and complain or second-guess. It is easy to criticize “Augusta” without offering realistic alternatives. However, at the end of the day, the Maine Legislature is full of serious people -- committed men and women who want to serve their communities and do so with the best intentions and information that is available. This budget process was an example of the best of our system -- working.

No one decided to obstruct the process or say “No” just for the sake of saying “No.” Members worked thousands of hours, together, to find the best possible alternatives and approaches that would balance the needs of our state and its citizens against the realities of our economic conditions. I was honored to join with so many of my colleagues to support this budget. It was not perfect, it did not do everything that I wanted to see, but it is a practical and workable solution to our current situation.

One major challenge resolved -- and only a few more until we adjourn in a matter of days. However, the work for next year is already beginning because we will be facing a similar budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars, and we must maintain the balance of fiscal discipline and targeted services for Maine citizens.

Over the next few months, I will once again be calling on my neighbors in the River Valley, listening to your concerns and trying to learn how I can best serve you should I be fortunate enough to continue to earn your vote and your confidence. You can be sure that I will continue to work on initiatives that will keep our state’s finances strong, our taxes low, and our money producing real value in the areas of education, health and safety.