It’s about now in the legislative session that funding fatigue descends on lawmakers. They’ve approved spending for hundreds of millions of dollars in government services, but there is no end in sight to the requests. They’ve listened to pleas for money to teach children, treat the mentally ill, buy medicine for the elderly, house the homeless. They started with a surplus, found worthy programs for that money, had expected revenues pushed up again and could easily spend that on needed services.

Is there anything left for programs that are less than life or death, programs like the one in LD 630, which preserves many of the state’s cultural resources? There is, if Democratic leaders are willing to change their opposition to ending a subsidy that should have been tossed out years ago.

LD 630 would create something called Maine Communities in the New Century Program, which would help local libraries, museums and historical societies gather and preserve the heritage of their communities — the buildings, artifacts, manuscripts and oddities that contribute to the character of a town or city. It would preserve the sort of treasures that residents sometimes try to save after it is too late — after a town’s founding document is little more than dust, after the wrecking ball has begun to swing toward the old grange hall.

The New Century Program would try to catch these artifacts in time. And it would for the first time bring together the seven major cultural and historical organizations to work with hundreds of local groups to make it happen. Maine’s splendid history is often most apparent in places with the fewest resources for preserving it, the small towns and communities that escaped the affliction of urban renewal 40 years ago and continue to value the way things were.

But small towns aren’t the only places that value this history. Both tourism and business groups have concluded that the most desirable spots are ones that offer cultural and educational opportunities. Older tourists especially have the time, money and inclination to travel to places that offer something besides beaches and overpriced T-shirts. Business leaders look to relocate firms in places where employees would want to live and remain with the business. There are solid economic reasons for Maine to support this program.

But there is also the cost. LD 630 calls for $3.6 million a year to fund this program. That’s a lot even in a time of surplus. The $3.6 million annual cost, however, is conveniently close to the $4 million subsidy lawmakers spend each year on state liquor stores in Maine. The governor have tried three times to privatize these stores and save the money. Republicans traditionally have supported that idea. Democrats have not.

LD 630 currents sits on the Appropriations table, competing with other bills for funding. It was presented by House Speaker Steve Rowe and co-sponsored by Senate President Mark Lawrence, Democratic leaders who could quickly propose a bill to get Maine out of the liquor business and fund this valuable program at the same time.

They could think of it as priority-setting: Does Maine prefer to subsidize the liquor industry or support the growing appreciation of its history?