Legislature meets deadline after approving $190 million supplemental budget

Kennebec Journal, April 1, 2008

(excerpt) The budget is a mix of cuts and savings found in various state agencies.

For example, the budget includes $9 million in revenue from the sale of unclaimed securities by the state treasurer.

But the bulk of the money -- $170 million of the $190 million -- comes from cuts, including $65 million from the state Department of Health and Human Services. Earlier this year, hundreds of people came to the Statehouse to protest against proposed cuts to services that totaled more than $90 million.

And while the Legislature rejected some of those cuts and reduced the impact of others, a large portion of the savings needed were found in human services.

The budget also cuts $34 million in general purpose aid to education, although only $23 million of it will directly impact money that goes from the state to local school districts.