Democrats look to advance stopgap budget after failure of short-term MaineCare deal
Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart and Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Harrington talk as the upper chamber prepares to vote on the supplemental budget on March 11, 2025. (Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)
This story will be updated.
The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is expected to meet on Friday afternoon to vote on a budget plan that addresses the immediate Medicaid funding shortfall, in light of the failed supplemental budget, as well as continuing services for the next two fiscal years.
This move is reminiscent of how the Democratic majority approached the biennial budget last session, when it passed an initial continuing services budget to keep the lights on and then another spending package to incorporate policy changes.
As it did in 2023, this decision is likely to anger Republicans, who have already been expressing concern this session about Democrats passing another party-line budget. Passing a budget in this manner would undermine the minority party's ability to threaten a government shutdown over budget negotiations.
In statements shared on Friday, the presiding officers said the continuing services budget will prioritize core government functions and not include new initiatives, cuts or tax increases. However, the full picture of what is or isn't in this plan will not be known until the Appropriations Committee votes on what to include. It is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. in Augusta.
'While we had hoped to pass a responsible supplemental budget to address urgent needs, political brinkmanship prevented that from happening,' Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Brunswick) said. 'Now, we must focus on passing an initial budget to ensure critical services remain funded and our constituents are not the ones who suffer from partisan gridlock.'
The final blow to the supplemental budget came Thursday when Senate Republicans maintained their opposition to the plan that would have filled the $118 million shortfall for MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program, and provided funding for to treat a growing outbreak of spruce budworm, a destructive insect that threatens Maine's northern forests. The plan was also amended to include some Republican demands — limits to General Assistance and promised cost-of-living adjustments for certain essential support workers that are being withheld by Gov. Janet Mills' administration.
Another addition had been a review of MaineCare for fraud, waste and abuse, but Senate Republicans said it had to include structural reform of the program in order to get their vote.
Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) said on Friday that the supplemental budget negotiations demonstrated that Democrats can't count on Senate Republicans.
'We must urgently address the supplemental budget in combination with the biennial budget in order to put Maine people first and end the political posturing,' Fecteau said. 'Democrats are not willing to risk a government shutdown or neglect our state's health and well-being. It's time to move forward.'
Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart of Aroostook and House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
The Democratic leaders said they are encouraging their colleagues across the aisle to support the continuing services plan that will be hashed out Friday. Daughtry, reminiscent of her comments to Maine Morning Star ahead of the final failed supplemental vote on Thursday, added that she believes the fiscal uncertainty being seen in Washington D.C. can be avoided in Maine.
In D.C. on Friday, Congress will decide the fate of a stop-gap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown on the federal level.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Scott Bessent Accuses Gavin Newsom of Threatening 'Tax Evasion'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of "threatening to commit criminal tax evasion" after the Democratic leader suggested in a social media post that the state should consider withholding federal tax payments in response to possible funding cuts from the Trump administration. Newsweek has reached out to Newsom's press office for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from various state programs and institutions, including research and education programs. Last week, CNN reported that the administration is considering cutting grant funding to the University of California and California State University systems. In late-May, President Donald Trump threatened to pull "large scale federal funding" from the Golden State unless it bars transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Bessent's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between federal, state, and local authorities as protests continue in Los Angeles, which were sparked following immigration raids during which police followed the Trump administration's directives to arrest people. Some protesters have thrown rocks at officers, with one allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail, and burning items in the streets. Agents have used tear gas on the crowds. The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and deployed the National Guard against local leaders wishes. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA/Aaron Schwartz/AP Images What To Know On Friday, Newsom shared a screenshot of a CNN article on X, formerly Twitter, about the Trump administration's potential move to cut federal funding to the state, writing, "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off." Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 6, 2025 His post followed a CNN report that the Trump administration is targeting California's public university system over alleged antisemitism on campus. The administration has already taken similar action against Harvard University. California is the most populous state in the country with over 39 million people. It leads all the states in federal tax collection, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting that California contributed around $806 billion to total IRS collections in the 2024 fiscal year, which is about 15 percent of the national total. A recent analysis by the Rockefeller Institute of Government found the state contributed $83.1 billion more in federal taxes in 2022 than it received back. In response to the governor, Bessent, who oversees the IRS, wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes." Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes. (1/3) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) June 8, 2025 In a follow up post, he wrote: "I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening." In a third post, the treasury secretary called the governor's comments "extremely reckless." Federal law defines a willful attempt to evade or defeat federal taxes as a felony under United States law. The public clash comes as Newsom is sparring with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over deployment of the National Guard, and potentially active-military Marines, following protests in California sparked over federal immigration enforcement operations. Hegseth wrote in a Saturday evening post on X that in addition to mobilizing guards, nearby Marines may also be called upon, writing, "And, if violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert." What People Are Saying White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN in a Friday statement: "No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country," in regard to certain California policies related to energy and immigration. "No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation." Robert Rivas, speaker of the California State Assembly, wrote in a BlueSky post about the CNN article on Friday: "This is unconstitutional and vindictive. We're the nation's economic engine and the largest donor state, and deserve our fair share. I'll use every legal and constitutional tool available to defend CA -- we must look at every option, including withholding federal taxes." What Happens Next? The tension between the Trump administration and Newsom don't show signs of easing.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Suffolk jails forced to hold 125 prisoners set for transfer because of state chaos
Suffolk County's jails are being forced to hold onto 125 felons who were supposed to be transferred upstate — with officials blaming state government chaos for the delay, The Post has learned. County Executive Ed Romaine blamed Gov. Kathy Hochul and said housing a growing number of state prisoners is putting staff in a dangerous situation as taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of thousands in estimated extra costs. 'They've been convicted and are supposed to be in state prisons and they're not because the state is just not taking them,' Romaine told The Post. Advertisement 'Now, why is the state not taking them?' the Republican added. 'Well, [Hochul] fired 2,000 corrections officers striking for better working conditions and she's closing prisons around the state.' 4 Suffolk County's jails are being forced to hold onto 125 felons who were supposed to be transferred upstate. New York Post Under state law, inmates sentenced to hard time in state prison are supposed to be transferred upstate within 10 business days. But Romaine said that has changed in the aftermath of labor unrest with the corrections officer union and Democratic governor. Advertisement He said the delays are now causing headaches across the system, from administration to the inmates themselves. Most of the detainees in the two county jails — in Riverhead and Yaphank — are people accused of low-level crimes that are being held for trial and have not been convicted. They are now bunking alongside convicted criminals who were intended to only pass through the system. 4 Under state law, inmates sentenced to hard time in state prison are supposed to be transferred upstate within 10 business days. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine pictured. James Messerschmidt Romaine added that the influx of roughly 125 felons is raising serious safety and management concerns for staff. Advertisement 'Our jail staff are already spread thin,' Romaine wrote in a letter to Gov. Hochul in May obtained by The Post. 'I understand that the state faces similar staffing challenges, but it is unfair to shift this burden to the County with minimal financial compensation and little to no collaboration.' The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision blamed the backlog on system-halting staffing shortages that were sparked after the state fired 2,000 corrections officers who participated in an unauthorized, nearly month-long strike in March. 4 Romaine added that the influx of roughly 125 felons is raising serious safety and management concerns for staff. Newsday via Getty Images Romaine shot back that the staffing shortages should be Suffolk's problem. Advertisement 'The law says they're state ready, then they need to be in state prisons, not local jails,' he said. New York State is reimbursing Suffolk $100 per day for every inmate stuck in the county jails, but Romaine said the county pays $250 per day for each, meaning taxpayers are on the hook for the extra $150. 'The warden and his staff calculate that we have expended approximately $280,000 in excess of what we have received from the state to house these state ready but unclaimed prisoners since February,' Romaine wrote in the May letter. 4 New York State is reimbursing Suffolk $100 per day for every inmate stuck in the county jails. New York Post More inmates in lockup means more guards are needed to work — with more overtime costs, he added. Romaine warned that if the backlog continues, it could lead to dangerous overcrowding and unravel the work the county has been doing to improve jail conditions. 'This is unsustainable long term,' he said.
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Speaker Johnson Downplays Musk's Influence, Suggests Republicans Will Pass Budget Bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on June 8 downplayed tech billionaire Elon Musk's critical comments and said that House Republicans will pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act backed by President Donald Trump. Last week, Musk and Trump got into a heated back and forth after the Tesla CEO repeatedly bashed the spending bill on social media. Trump suggested that it was because of its cuts to electric vehicle mandates, and at one point floated cutting federal money to Musk's companies. Meanwhile, Musk took credit for Trump and the GOP winning the 2024 election and threatened to decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.
