Promise Kept: Governor Mills Signs Strong, Bipartisan Budget Achieving 55 Percent of Education Costs For First Time in Maine History maine.gov - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from maine.gov Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“From 55 percent school funding, to full revenue sharing, to increased property tax relief, to health care, and much more, this budget makes important, meaningful, and historic progress for Maine people,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I applaud the members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee for their hard work in reaching this unanimous, bipartisan agreement.”
Below is a rundown of key budget points, shared through a news release jointly released by the offices of Senate President Troy Jackson and Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau.
“Today, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee approved a bipartisan proposal that finally makes good on our longstanding commitment to Maine schools, property taxpayers, and municipalities,” said Senate President Jackson. “It also responds to the hardships that Mainers experienced during this pandemic.”
Updated at 12:37 AM
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Bill to end state police data-gathering unit fails decisively in Senate
The House had passed the measure to end funding for the Maine Information and Analysis Center, which was created in the wake of 9/11, but the 29-6 vote in the Senate effectively kills the legislation.
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A bill to abolish a controversial police intelligence agency passed in the Maine House of Representatives on Monday only to fail decisively in the Senate later in the day.
The defeat effectively kills L.D. 1278, which would have eliminated nearly $1 million in funding for the Maine Information and Analysis Center, a division of the Maine State Police, and directed that money elsewhere.
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‘Virtual’ charity game raises $36,000 for children’s cancer
Faced with a pandemic and health protocols limiting or prohibiting indoor gatherings, the 27th annual C-U Swish-Out Childhood Cancer Challenge, organized and presented by Town & Country Federal Credit Union, was at risk of being canceled for the first time in its history. However, based on feedback from past participants and strong support from sponsors and volunteers, it was clear that the ‘shot’ must go on. Instead of a one-day, 3-on-3, co-ed tournament for adults and youth teams, this year’s event transitioned into a ‘virtual’ 3-on-3, free-throw competition.
The competition, which ran from April 12 to May 8 raised $36,000 to support the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.
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Black women in Maine are far less likely than white women to receive prenatal health care during the course of their pregnancies, and a lack of data about the state’s tribal communities means the racial disparity there may be even worse.
Expecting mothers who are Black are four times more likely than white mothers to go through most or all of a pregnancy without seeing a medical provider, a disparity that is tied with Texas for worst in the country, according to federal data.
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The gap is not new but has attracted the attention of the Maine Legislature as the state and the nation confront a wide spectrum of racial inequities, from law enforcement to education, employment and health care.