Dems call for increased school aid Speaker Saxl pledges 5 percent boost

AUGUSTA – Concerned they are being cast as cool to Maine’s education needs, House Democrats vowed Thursday to push for an early budget that includes an increase of at least 5 percent in school aid.

Democrats also took a swipe at Republicans, accusing them of playing politics with the school-funding issue.

“Funding for education needs to get beyond politics,” House Speaker Michael Saxl of Portland said at a news conference with other House Democrats involved in education funding.

Saxl said his party is committed to having a complete two-year state budget, which includes school funding increases of at least 5 percent and 3 percent, reported out of the Appropriations Committee by March 15.

That would set the stage for a full legislative vote by April 1, giving school districts across the state time to work state funding figures into their budgets. Often in the past, their budget making has been delayed when lawmakers have waited until June to pass state budgets.

“We don’t want there to be any confusion in the state of Maine,” said House Majority Leader Patrick Colwell of Gardiner. “Five percent is a minimum of what we want to do.”

In bipartisan action last week, the Senate passed an order directing the Appropriations Committee to complete work by Feb. 15 on a bill that increases general purpose aid by 5 percent for the coming fiscal year.

The order was sent to the House, where Republicans informally endorsed it before it was tabled.

Majority Democrats resisted the order, saying that school funding, which amounts to roughly $1.6 billion over two years, must be considered as part of the whole $5 billion budget.

“I’m hoping we can get more than 5 percent,” said Rep. Shirley Richard, D-Madison. “I’m also concerned about the process … I don’t think we should override that process,” said Richard, who co-chairs the Education Committee.

Democrats also accused the GOP leader in the House, Rep. Joseph Bruno of Raymond, of shifting positions on the issue. Bruno spoke out against separating school funding from the budget, then issued a statement Tuesday reflecting support.

Bruno, a former member of the Appropriations Committee, said his personal view has been consistent: That education spending should be considered as part of the full budget.

But Bruno said his caucus voted strongly in favor of breaking out the school funding increase, and the statement he issued Tuesday was to emphasize House Republicans’ stand as a caucus.

He also brushed aside charges that Republicans are playing politics with school funding, noting that it was a Democrat, Sen. Margaret Rotundo of Lewiston, who sponsored the Senate order in the first place.

Bruno said Republicans are willing to work with Democrats in an effort to get a full budget reviewed and ready for a vote by the end of March at the latest.