Maine Education Association

Contact Us:

Steve Crouse
Director, Government Relations

Cynthia Fabbricatore
Assistant, Government Relations

Legislative Action:

Cyber Lobby: Guide to the Legislature

Maine Legislature

March 7, 2008

The Activist

Governor's Change Package  

Governor Baldacci issued his change package to his initial supplemental budget submitted in January.  As you know, the budget hole has doubled to $190 million for the rest of the biennium and the Governor has attempted to put a budget together without any additional revenues. The budget reductions to education are severe.  The summary of the budget cuts are:

  • An overall $34.1 million reduction to General Purpose Aid to Education.  $23 million of the total will be reducing the allocation to districts.  The additional $11 million will be cut from bus purchases, debt payments and miscellaneous accounts which include a reduction of $4 million in the learning results implementation monies.
  • A $2 million reduction in funding for Maine ’s Community College System for 2008-2009.
  • A $7 million reduction in funding for the University of Maine System.

The Appropriations Committee will be holding a public hearing on the Governor’s change package for cuts to education on Tuesday, March 11th .  The public hearing begins at 8:30 am and will continue throughout the day.

LD 2174 Withdrawn

Commissioner Gendron requested that LD 2174 “An Act Regarding Curriculum Requirements and Standards for Awarding a High School Diploma" be withdrawn.  MEA, MPA and MSMA met with the Commissioner the day before the public hearing and strongly recommended that the bill be significantly be amended or withdrawn.  The Commissioner listened and then made a recommendation to the Education Committee that the bill be withdrawn for this session.

LD 1932 (School Consolidation bill) Passes
in the House

The amended version of LD 1932 passed in the House this week by a vote of 86-51.  The bill to remove barriers for school consolidation contains the Damon/McDonald amendment to allow for the “school union” option. The Governor has included language in his change package that reflects the majority report of the Education Committee on LD 1932 but his language does not include the “school union” option.  He is predicted to veto LD 1932 with the Damon amendment attached to the bill.