Relief for small businesses included in $38M supplemental budget

Photo Courtesy / Office of Gov. Mills Gov. Mills signs the supplemental budget with (from left) Rep. Sawin Millett, Rep. Melanie Sachs, Department of Administration and Financial Services Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa, Sen. Peggy Rotundo and Sen. Rick Bennett.

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By Renee Cordes

Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday signed a supplemental budget into law that includes $6.5 million to extend health insurance relief for small businesses.

The budget covers state-funded initiatives and transfers of around $38 million, most of which are one-time payments. The measure is an adjustment to the 2022-23 biennial state budget, which is in effect through June 30, 2023.

The measure was overwhelmingly approved by state lawmakers in Augusta last week by a vote of 113-21 in the House and 24-5 in the Senate. The Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee also gave its unanimous support.

“The supplemental budget will help Maine nursing facilities, hospitals, small businesses, and others while keeping our budget balanced,” Mills said. “I thank the Legislature for its strong bipartisan support for the measure, and I look forward to working with them to craft a biennial budget that improves the lives and livelihoods of Maine people.”

Budget breakdown

Small Business Health Insurance Relief: Extends the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan that provides monthly payments of $50 per worker (more for families) to sustain affordable health insurance to qualifying businesses to the end of July 2023.
Support for Retirees: $6.6 million in the supplemental budget for a one-time payment equivalent to a 1% cost-of-living-adjustment for Maine state retirees, with an average benefit of $175 for around 37,600 state-sponsored plan retirees.
Portland Harbor Dredging: Maintains $10 million in the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan for the potential dredging of Portland Harbor.
Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services: Authorizes the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services to increase the rate of pay for rostered attorneys from $80 per hour to $150 per hour.
Care for Older Mainers: $6 million in state funds to support long-term care facilities, including nursing facilities. Combined with $19 million in federal funds, that puts the total at $25 million.
Support for Maine Hospitals: $6 million to support hospitals’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with $19 million in federal funds, that puts the total at $25 million.
Maine Milk Commission Study: $50,000 for a study to assess the cost of milk production in Maine based on costs and other financial factors in calendar year 2022 to be completed by Dec. 31, 2023.

The measure also includes funding for increased fuel costs across state government and for improvements at state government-owned buildings, among other items.