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Maine Supplemental Budget Fails After Senate GOP Balks

Maine Supplemental Budget Fails After Senate GOP Balks

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


There’s still no supplemental budget to shore up a state Medicaid shortfall after lawmakers failed to get two-thirds majority approval Tuesday night.

A proposal seemed headed for passage earlier when both the House and Senate favored a compromise plan that included new limits on housing assistance.

But after the House passed the final product with the required two-thirds majority, the Senate fell two votes short.

The Senate Democratic majority is accusing Republicans of being obstructionist, while Republican want more concessions and spending cuts.

Nearly all of the $121 million supplemental budget is directed at filling a $118 million deficit in Medicaid costs through June, which is the end of the current fiscal year. About $2 million would be spent to protect Maine forests from spruce budworm infestations.

Republicans want Medicaid cuts to avoid similar shortfalls in the future and want to place work requirements on able bodied Medicaid recipients. The GOP also want Governor Janet Mills’ proposal to limit housing assistance through the General Assistance program implemented.

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