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Teresa Pierce is the House chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. She represents District 44 in the Maine House of Representatives.
After a year filled with uncertainty and heartbreaking loss, it is imperative that your elected leaders do everything within their power to ensure that we continue our strong public health and economic recovery.
This past year tested teachers, school staff, our children, and every parent trying to do their job. It has been a year in which nothing was normal or easy.
Our state’s health care providers and caretakers have had to completely shift gears to address a new public health crisis. Essential workers have had to put their health and safety on the line. Behind closed doors, many people struggled to meet the demanding needs of family, health, education and economic security.
But brighter days are ahead. Mainers are being vaccinated, businesses are reopening and schools are bringing students back onto their campuses and into classrooms. As a Legislature we must do everything in our power to continue this positive path forward.
That’s why our Appropriations Committee voted on a biennial budget last week that covers the current services of the state, keeps our books balanced, provides certainty and predictability for our summer tourism season and gives needed funds to help our schools plan for the fall.
It is a crucial moment in our state’s recovery from the pandemic. Democrats on the committee have put forth a budget that meets that moment. It provides for the continuation of essential services for all Mainers; it ensures Maine people can continue to rely on rural hospitals, nursing homes and health clinics during a public health crisis; it supports continued efforts to combat the opioid crisis; continues important efforts in putting people back to work; it delivers tax relief through the Homestead Exemption and there are no new taxes.
We’re not adding any new services or initiatives. We’re taking this action to ensure we do our part so Maine people and communities can continue to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the almost the same budget that earned two-thirds, bipartisan support from the Maine Legislature in 2019 except we’re funding a few more park rangers ahead of what we expect to be a busy year in our state parks, and we’re making good on our promise to fund teacher retirements; initiatives Republicans have supported.
On Tuesday, legislators from all across the state will gather to vote on this budget. Democrats on the Appropriations Committee are asking House and Senate members on both sides of the aisle to support programs that they have voted for in the past — school funding, revenue sharing with local municipalities, our child protective services, public health measures.
Passing this budget is just part of the work ahead of the Legislature. Maine will need to consider whether to bond for important infrasture, we will need to work with the Mills administration to address the federal funds that will be coming in through the American Rescue Plan and we will need to pass a transportation budget. Policy change will be debated. These important endeavors will require robust discussion from both sides of the aisle and will demand our full attention.
This budget ensures the continuity of essential services at a time when they are most needed.
In this moment, leaders should not not let a day go by where we are not taking action to address the challenges of the pandemic. We must continue moving our state forward in its recovery from the pandemic by giving municipalities certainty about school funding and the business community certainty about the summer tourism season. After the year we’ve had, Mainers need their legislators to pass a baseline budget that gives them stability and tells them our state is on track to a full recovery.