In his Jan. 9 address, Gov. John Baldacci (D) asked the Democratic-controlled Legislature to stretch Maine’s flagging revenues without raising taxes or dipping into financial reserves, and without cutting education funding or programs for the needy.
At the same time, he called for expansion of the state’s groundbreaking universal health-care program, Dirigo Health; greater use of wind power; and smaller state government.
To help reduce costs, Baldacci called for cuts in two departments: health and human resources and natural resources. He also said he would seek lower prescription drug prices for state workers by pooling purchases among the top three state unions.
To expand Maine’s Dirigo program, Baldacci called for market reforms to make coverage more affordable and asked lawmakers to help him find “less contentious and more sustainable” funding for the program. To read the full text, click
here.
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