Democratic Gov. Janet Mills announced a budget amendment Friday that includes additional one-time spending to build housing for Maine residents, provide subsidies to child care providers and accelerate nursing home rate reform.
Proposed spending includes $5 million to help mobile home residents purchase mobile home parks and another $22 million to build additional housing, both of which It is intended to help with the state’s housing shortage.
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“This fiscally responsible proposal aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing Maine people, including access to affordable housing, child care, and long-term care.” Mills said in a statement. “And we aim to address these very important items in a fiscally sustainable way, and together with my previous proposal to save money, we hope that Maine will continue to do so over the next two years.” Our goal is to ensure that we deliver on our promises.”
Democratic Governor Janet Mills delivers the State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at the State Capitol in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
The new spending would increase her biennial budget proposal to about $10.44 billion.
The proposal reflects a projection of $108 million in additional revenue by the bipartisan Revenue Forecasting Committee. Robust corporate tax revenues were a factor pushing it up, but this is thought to be subject to change in long-term budget formulation.
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The governor’s proposal sets the stage for lawmakers to finish negotiations and bring the budget to a vote. They are racing against time, as lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn on April 17.
