Supplemental Budget: Appropriations Changes

Due to the $100 million DHHS shortfall and $35 million in revenue reprojection and additional funding requests, a supplemental budget is needed. A supplemental budget is a bill that is intended to bring the state budget into balance within a biennium. With that being said the following are a few key points you need to know that Appropriations weighed in on for the final draft of the supplemental budget.

• Rejected a proposal to eliminate the Reserve for Retirement Costs and remove it from the year end cascade along with the elimination of potential Cost of Living Adjustment increases for retirees for the next two years.
• Transfers $40 million from rainy day find into the General Fund.
• Reduces funding for grants from the Maine Technology Institute 
• Transfers $1 million from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to General Fund
• Reduces General Purpose Aid to local education by $12.6 million
• Rejected a proposal to eliminate the parental choice option of an additional year of Child Development Services in lieu of kindergarten
• Reduces funding for High Education including the Maine Community College System by $724,451, the Maine Maritime Academy by $112,696, University of Maine System by $2.5 million, and student grants via the Finance Authority of Maine by $143,401.
• Rejected a proposal to eliminate the Drugs for the Elderly Program
• Reduces funding for child adoption subsidies by half
• Rejected a proposal to cap General Fund expenditures on General Assistance at $10.2 million

Click to read full list of changes to Supplemental Budget

Click to read full text of legislation