ME Gov. Mills proposes $71M supplemental budget, with focus on Lewiston massacre

• Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills announced a $71 million supplemental budget on Wednesday.
• The proposed adjustments to the Pine Tree State’s two-year budget specifically address mental health and firearm safety issues in the wake of last year’s Lewiston mass shooting, the deadliest in Maine history.
• “This proposal balances timely investments to address urgent needs with saving money so the state can remain on strong financial footing into the future,” Mills said in a statement. There is,” he said.

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday announced a $71 million supplemental budget that includes several initiatives in response to the worst mass shooting in state history. That includes additional funding to strengthen mental health efforts, support for required assessments under the state’s so-called yellow flag law, and additional funding for health promotion. Existing Firearms Storage Program.

The proposed budget adjustment would increase the two-year budget to $10.41 billion, heading into the next budget cycle when state revenues are expected to be flat, potentially straining state finances. This is in line with the Governor’s promise to secure more than $100 million.

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“This proposal requires timely investments to address urgent needs such as public safety, mental health, housing, education, and health care, and to ensure that our nation’s finances remain on strong financial footing into the future. It balances the savings to guarantee,” the governor said in a statement.

Part of the proposal stems from the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston that claimed 18 lives. The gunman was an Army reservist and had been suffering from a deteriorating mental health in the months before the tragedy, officials said.

The governor’s proposal would have the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention collect injury and violence data from law enforcement, hospitals, schools, and other sources and serve as a clearinghouse to inform public policy decisions. Includes $1 million for.

Other funding includes $2.8 million for a mobile crisis response team to respond to mental health emergencies, $950,000 to establish a mental health crisis reception center in Lewiston, and to cover unpaid medical bills for victims of “mass violence incidents.” $5 million, including $422,400 in surge support. In mental health evaluations under yellow flag laws, which allow guns to be taken away from people in a mental crisis.

Other highlights include $200,000 to advance programs that encourage Maine residents to safely store firearms, funding for 16 state police positions and funding for victim services. Includes $6 million.

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It also includes $16 million for emergency housing relief. $10 million to build affordable housing. $6 million to repair state parks and public lands damaged by the storm. Among other things, $4 million was spent on updating the computer systems of judicial institutions.