AUGUSTA, Maine — Democrats praise the budget agreement reached Wednesday by the Appropriations Committee. They say they "restored bipartisan cooperation" to the process after four years of divisive contentious budgets.
The $7.987 billion package is slightly less than Gov. Janet Mills originally proposed.
Appropriations co-chairs Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, and Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, say the budget adds $75 million to property tax relief and also increases education spending by $132 million for K-12 and higher education.
A more than $150 million in new spending got Medicaid and other Human Services programs.
The full Legislature is planning to vote on the package Friday.
The committee vote was 11-2, with two Republican members opposed.
GOP votes will be needed to get a required two-thirds majority for final passage. It’s unclear at this point if there will be any Republican effort to force further changes.