Maine Gov. Mills claims bipartisanship in signing supplemental budget

Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a supplemental budget into law on Tuesday, touting help for nursing homes, hospitals and small businesses.

The Maine Legislature overwhelmingly approved the roughly $40 million in budget adjustments to account for final surplus revenue. Lawmakers spent most of the previous budget surplus on $450 in relief checks that are being mailed to 880,000 Mainers.

Mills thanked the Legislature for bipartisan support and said she hopes that spirit will continue as work progresses on her proposed two-year, $10.3 billion budget.

For now, the supplemental budget that updates the budget that runs through the end of June contains no new programs but includes extra money for a variety of needs including additional funding for long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, and for hospitals. It also includes money to extend through July $50 monthly payments Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan program to workers to sustain affordable health insurance.

Among other things, it also maintains $10 million in the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan for the potential dredging of Portland Harbor.

It authorizes the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services to increase the hourly rate for attorneys from $80 to $150 per hour.