AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers have sent a $28 million budget bill to Gov. Paul LePage that addresses a funding shortfall for county jails and supports a state-run psychiatric hospital.
The House voted 146-1 to give the supplemental budget bill final approval on Tuesday. The Senate followed with a unanimous vote. It provides funding for a several things this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
The measure provides $2.5 million for several county jails that have warned that they will run out of money before June. It also supports 29 new positions at Riverview Psychiatric Center, which lost federal certification in 2013 due to a variety of concerns.
The measure also maintains about $5 million in a fund that supports anti-smoking programs. Republican Gov. Paul LePage had sought about $7 million in cuts.
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