AUGUSTA — The Legislature on Tuesday easily passed a $32 million state budget fix for 2015.
The House passed the bill on a vote of 136-8; the Senate passed the bill 35-0.
Lawmakers wanted to put the bill on Gov. Paul LePage’s desk by the time they adjourned later this week.
LePage already threatened a veto because of the way the bill pushes off payments to hospitals and other Medicaid providers for up to 12 days. LePage could use his line-item veto on the bill.
But key lawmakers — both Democrat and Republican — on the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee touted the bill before the House vote.
State Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, House chairwoman of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, noted that the bill begins the process of eliminating a Department of Health and Human Services waiting list for some disabled Mainers seeking health care coverage under the state’s Medicaid program.
The bill provides new funding for increasing staff and training at key state psychiatric hospitals and restores funding to local schools and Maine’s university system. The legislation also increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for many of the state’s nursing homes that were losing money on their care of severely disabled individuals.
“Our bipartisan proposal provides critical funding for seniors, individuals with disabilities and for those struggling with mental illness,” Rotundo said. “By passing this budget, we can reduce and eliminate the DHHS wait list that so many of us have spoken passionately about. Hundreds of Maine people with disabilities and their families will now have the relief of knowing they can get the care and services they desperately need.”
The bill needed the approval of at least two-thirds of the Legislature to pass into law.
State Rep. Kathleen Chase, R-Wells, lead House Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said the bill deserved her colleagues’ support.
Chase said in the scheme of state budget fixes, a $32 million solution was relatively small, “but I can tell you it delivers much-needed benefits and with credible funding. That’s the best you can probably say in any supplemental budget.”
Rotundo and Chase thanked their respective colleagues for working long hours on a bipartisan solution to craft a bill that received unanimous support from the Appropriations Committee.
In the Senate, lead Democrats and Republicans on the committee hailed the bill.
State Sen. Dawn Hill, D-Cape Neddick, Senate chairwoman of the committee, said most budget bills did not make lawmakers happy. They were bills of necessity, and that usually meant somebody was unhappy about the outcome.
But Hill said Tuesday she was happy about the bill passed by the committee and the Legislature.
“So here’s the kicker for today,” Hill said. “I am happy about this budget; I am really happy because what’s not to like about taking all the developmentally disabled off the (Medicaid waiting list)?”
She said raising nursing home reimbursement rates would make available care for the state’s most vulnerable.
“They can take care of our elderly who have no other choices and are alone in life and really need a place to be taken care of 24/7,” Hill said.
It was a sentiment echoed by the lead Senate Republican on the committee, Patrick Flood of Augusta.
“Like the senator from York, I’m pretty happy,” Flood said. “Usually, you kind of come to these things kind of half happy, but this time around I feel darn good that we were able to accomplish these things.”
A provision of the bill offered by Flood produces about $20 million of annual savings for the state.
Flood, who is not seeking re-election, extended thanks to his colleagues in a somewhat emotional message. In his time in the Legislature he said he learned that true working relationships were always what produced the most meaningful legislation.
“In one respect, to me, nothing else really matters,” Flood said, choking up. “It’s not necessary that you love the people you work with, but it probably doesn’t hurt.”
The bill next will head to LePage’s desk. The governor has several options. He can veto the bill in its entirety, sign it, allow it to pass into law without his signature or line-item veto portions of the bill.
Two-thirds of the House and Senate would be needed to overturn the veto. If he line-item vetoes the bill, lawmakers would need only a simple majority to overrule him.
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