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What They’re Saying: Gov. Janet Mills’ Bipartisan Supplemental Budget Delivers $850 Checks and Bold Solutions on Kitchen-Table Issues

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Yesterday, Gov. Janet Mills signed her bipartisan supplemental budget proposal, which delivers direct checks to fight rising costs, funds free community college for students impacted by the pandemic, addresses the PFAS crisis, invests in affordable housing, and more.

The budget is expected to deliver $1,700 in relief to the average Maine household.

Here’s what people are saying about Gov. Mills’ supplemental budget:

  • Bangor Daily News: “Most Maine taxpayers will receive $850 payments later this year after lawmakers approved a bipartisan plan to remit most of the state’s budget surplus to aid Mainers at a time of high costs.”
  • Portland Press Herald: “Rare is the day when a fiscal conservative agrees with a Democratic governor, but this is the day … Get that money out to people.”
  • News Center Maine: “Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed off on a $1.2 billion supplemental budget Wednesday that sends more than half of the money to residents in the form of $850 relief checks … The swift action means the checks will be mailed to more than 850,000 Mainers as early as June.”
  • Maine Public: “The payments are a key feature of the spending plan and have been framed by supporters as [a] way to help Mainers absorb the soaring costs of goods, gas and heating prices.”
  • NECN: “In addition to paybacks to Maine residents, the budget includes $20 million to fund two years of free community college for eligible graduating high school students between 2020 and 2023. It also includes $60 million to address contamination from so-called forever chemicals including PFAS.”
  • WABI: “Maine students attending a school in the University of Maine System will see no tuition increase next year. Many will also be able to attend without paying out-of-pocket for tuition and fees thanks to the supplemental budget that was signed by Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday.”
  • The U.S. Sun: “A property tax relief for older residents and lower-income homeowners and tenants has also been offered.”
  • Spectrum Local News: “Gov. Janet Mills included $22 million in her supplemental budget to create an emergency housing relief fund at MaineHousing … Mills also included in her budget an additional $750,000 in grant funding for community organizations working to fight homelessness.”

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