Legislators return to Augusta on Thursday and may bring the
2015 session to a final adjournment before the end of this week. They will return rested but perplexed by
recent events concerning the Governor’s actions on numerous bills that many
believe have become law without his signature but he insists can still be
vetoed. Legislative officials and the
Attorney General maintain the Governor no longer has the Constitutional
authority to veto the particular bills.
He claims otherwise and the matter may be sent to the Maine Supreme
Court for an answer as to which position is correct.
It is possible that legislators will leave Augusta, once the
2015 session is finally adjourned, feeling like they just exited an extreme
rollercoaster ride, with dramatic ups and downs, surprising twists and turns,
and occasionally a momentary disorientation.
SESSION
Senate & House – 10 a.m. Thursday; subsequent days &
times to be announced
LEGISLATION
As of today 1,452 bills have been printed.
BUDGET VETO OVERRIDDEN
Governor LePage as expected vetoed the 2016-2017 State
Budget (LD 1019). Here are excerpts of
his veto message:
“Mainers want a budget that can be
used as a blueprint for prosperity for our great state. Instead, legislators
delayed the process for five months, then presented a business-as-usual budget
patched together at the last minute. Secretive, late-night decisions made under
the cover of darkness and behind locked doors have led to a budget based on the
best interests of a handful of politicians, not what is best for all the people
of Maine.
“Maine taxpayers deserve to know
how every dollar of their money is being spent, but this ‘Christmas tree’ with
gifts for certain legislators was presented with no public notice or input.
This is exactly the kind of back-room politics the people of Maine sent me here
to prevent.
Legislators on June 30 voted 25-10 in the Senate and 109-37
in the House to override the Governor’s veto.
MOODY’S REPORTS BUDGET CREDIT NEGATIVE FOR TOWNS
“In light of slow state revenue growth in an underperforming
economy, the [state] budget continues to fund state school aid to local
governments below statutory requirements,” reports Moody’s in its July 9 U.S.
finance weekly credit outlook. “The
budget is credit negative for cities, towns and school districts, all of which
bear financial responsibility for K-12 education, because they will continue to
face a choice between cutting services or increasing local property taxes.” A 2004 law sets a minimum target of 55% for
state aid to local education costs, a target that has not been met in any year
since then nor in many years prior to 2004.
Maine in 2011 was tied for 5th highest public
school revenue per $1,000 of personal income, according to the National
Education Association. The same NEA
report ranked Maine 39th for the percentage of revenue for K-12
public schools in the 2012-13 school year.
Maine ranked 23rd in expenditure per student in the 2012-13
school year.
IN THE PIPELINE
It is not possible to reliably indicate where certain bills
are in the pipeline due to disagreement over what bills recently became law
without the Governor’s signature and incomplete information on the status of
other bills within the legislative process.
