AUGUSTA—The Senate Democrats voted unanimously in full support of the $151 million supplemental budget for fiscal year 2011. The vote on the Senate floor was 34 – 0. The budget passed in the House of Representatives prior to it arriving on the Senate floor.
“With the passage of the supplemental budget, we have jumped over one hurdle,” said Senator Barry Hobbins, Democratic Leader from Saco. “and laid the foundation for a cooperative process going forward with the upcoming biennial budget.”
Hobbins praised the work done by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee calling their work “prudent and diligent”. Late Friday, February 4, the supplemental budget received unanimous bipartisan support from the Appropriations Committee.
Senator Dawn Hill from York is the Democratic Lead on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee also praised the work by her colleagues, “We all worked with a sense of fairness and transparency. I am hopeful that we have set the bar and tone for the rest of the session.”
“It is because of the hard work done over the last four years that we can proudly say that our budget today is the same as it was in 2005,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Senator Justin Alfond from Portland. “We have remained disciplined and fiscally responsible.”
Alfond also praised the “wrapping up” of the hospital payment agreement–an agreement made under the previous administration–during the supplemental budget.
Governor LePage is expected to put forth his biennial budget later this week.
