STATE OF MAINE

123rd LEGISLATURE

______________

LEGISLATIVE NOTICES

 

JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

 

      Sen. Margaret Rotundo, Senate Chair

      Rep. Jeremy Fischer, House Chair

 

      Public Hearing Schedule for the 2008-2009 Biennial Budget for the period:  February 12-16, 2007, Room 228, State House

 

            The Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the identified policy committees of the Legislature will be holding public hearings in Room 228 of the State House on the Governor’s budget bill for the 2008-2009 biennium LD No. 499 "An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, General Fund and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2009”.  The proposed budget initiatives may be viewed on the Bureau of Budget’s website at:

 

http://www.maine.gov/budget/budget_information.htm

 

The audio portions of public hearings and work sessions held in Room 228 of the State House may be monitored over the Internet by addressing:

 

http://janus.state.me.us/legis/audio/approps_cmte.html

 

The committee will hear testimony regarding all portions of the bill except Part B (self-funded position reclassifications and range changes).  Agencies are to address all initiatives regardless of fund type (Note: this is a change from past years when agencies only addressed initiatives funded by the General Fund and Fund for a Healthy Maine).

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry):

 

Monday

9:00 a.m.

Harness Racing Promotional Board

2/12/07

 

 

 

 

Potato Board, Maine

 

 

·         Potato Board

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Commission

 

 

 

 

 

Baxter State Park Authority

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Department

 

 

·         Land for Maine’s Future Fund

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry):

 

Monday (con’t)

10:30 a.m.

Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Department of

2/12/07

 

·         Animal Welfare Fund

 

 

·         Beverage Container Enforcement Fund

 

 

·         Certified Seed Fund

 

 

·         Animal Health and Industry, Division of

 

 

·         Market and Production Development, Division of

 

 

·         Plant Industry, Division of

 

 

·         Quality Assurance and Regulation, Division of

 

 

·         Food Assistance Program

 

 

·         Harness Racing Commission

 

 

·         Maine Farms for the Future Program

 

 

·         Milk Commission

 

 

·         Office of the Commissioner

 

 

·         Pesticides Control, Board of

 

 

·         Potato Quality Control – Reducing Inspection Costs

 

 

·         Rural Rehabilitation

 

 

·         Seed Potato Board

 

 

 

 

1:00 p.m.

Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Department of (continued from morning session)

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation, Department of

 

 

·         Administration - Forestry

 

 

·         Administrative Services - Conservation

 

 

·         Boating Facilities Fund

 

 

·         Coastal Island Registry

 

 

·         Forest Protection, Division of

 

 

·         Forest Fire Control – Municipal Assistance Grants

 

 

·         Forest Health and Monitoring

 

 

·         Forest Policy and Management, Division of

 

 

·         Forest Recreation Resource Fund

 

 

·         Geological Survey

 

 

·         Land Management and Planning

 

 

·         Land Use Regulation Commission

 

 

·         Maine Conservation Corps

 

 

·         Maine State Parks Development Fund

 

 

·         Maine State Parks Program

 

 

·         Mining Operations

 

 

·         Natural Areas Program

 

 

·         Off-Road Recreational Vehicles Program

 

 

·         Parks – General Operations

 

 

·         Language (Part “I” - removal of a statutory position)

 

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs):

 

Tuesday

1:00 p.m.

Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, Commission on

2/13/07

 

 

 

 

Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Department of

 

 

·         Administration – Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management

 

 

·         Loring Rebuild Facility

 

 

·         Military Educational Benefits

 

 

·         Military Training & Operations

 

 

·         Veteran Services

 

 

 

 

 

Public Safety, Department of

 

 

·         Gambling Control Board

 

 

·         Liquor Licensing

 

 

 

 

 

Administrative and Financial Services, Department of

 

 

·         Lottery Operations

 

The following Public Hearing was cancelled:

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation):

 

Wednesday

1:00 p.m.

Property Tax Review, State Board of

2/14/07

 

 

 

 

·         Language (Part “MM”  directs that property tax reductions occur due to the increased level of K-12 education funding provided)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrative and Financial Services, Department of

 

 

·         Bureau of Revenue Services Fund

 

 

·         County Tax Reimbursement

 

 

·         Elderly Tax Deferral Program

 

 

·         Homestead Property Tax Exemption – Mandate Reimbursement

 

 

·         Homestead Property Tax Exemption Reimbursement

 

 

·         Maine Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund [DAFS]

 

 

·         Revenue Services – Bureau of

 

 

·         Snow Grooming Property Tax Exemption Reimbursement

 

 

·         Tree Growth Tax Reimbursement

 

 

·         Veterans Tax Reimbursement

 

 

·         Waste Facility Tax Reimbursement

 

 

·         Language (Part “S” delays the increase in municipal revenue sharing to July 1, 2009)

 

 

·         Language (Part “T” increases the tax on cigarettes and tobacco products effective July 1, 2007)

 

 

·         Language (Part “U” delays implementation of the education tax credit)

 

 

·         Language (Part “V” bases the corporate income apportionment formula on sales effective January 1, 2007)

 

 

·         Language (Part “II” authorizes the continuation of funding for each individual tax expenditure reported in the budget document)

 

We will post a new notice when this hearing has been re-scheduled.

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs):

 

Thursday

1:00 p.m.

Finance Authority of Maine

2/15/07

 

·         Student Financial Assistance Programs

 

 

 

 

 

Maritime Academy, Maine

 

 

·         Maritime Academy - Operations

 

 

 

 

 

Maine Community College System - Board of Trustees

 

 

 

 

 

University of Maine, Board of Trustees of the

 

 

·         Casco Bay Estuary Project – University of Southern Maine

 

 

·         Debt Service – University of Maine System

 

 

·         Educational & General Activities - UMS

 

 

·         Maine Economic Improvement Fund

 

 

·         University of Maine Scholarship Fund

 

(To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Education):

 

Friday

9:00 a.m.

Arts Commission, Maine

2/16/07

 

·         Arts - Administration

 

 

·         Arts – General Grants Program

 

 

·         Arts – Sponsored Program

 

 

 

 

 

Cultural Affairs Council, Maine State

 

 

·         New Century Program Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Historic Preservation Commission, Maine

 

 

 

 

 

Historical Society, Maine

 

 

 

 

 

Humanities Council, Maine

 

 

·         Humanities Council

 

 

 

 

 

Library, Maine State

 

 

·         Administration - Library

 

 

·         Library Special Acquisitions Fund

 

 

·         Maine State Library

 

 

·         Statewide Library Information System

 

 

 

 

 

Museum, Maine State

 

 

·         Maine State Museum

 

 

·         Research and Collection - Museum

 

 

 

 

 

Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation

 

 

 (To be held in conjunction with the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs):

 

Friday

1:00 p.m.

State Board of Education

2/16/07

 

 

 

 

Education, Department of

 

 

·         Adult Education

 

 

·         After-School Program

 

 

·         Criminal History Record Check Fund

 

 

·         Education in Unorganized Territory

 

 

·         Educational Restructuring and Improvements

 

 

·         FHM – School Nurse Consultant

 

 

·         Fund for the Efficient Delivery

 

 

·         Leadership

 

 

·         Learning Systems

 

 

·         Learning Through Technology

 

 

·         Maine Learning Technology Endowment

 

 

·         Management Information Systems

 

 

·         Postsecondary Advanced Learning

 

 

·         Preschool Handicapped

 

 

·         Professional Development

 

 

·         Professional Development and Education Fund

 

 

·         Regional Services

 

 

·         Retired Teacher Group Life Insurance

 

 

·         Retired Teacher Health Insurance

 

 

·         Support Systems

 

 

·         Teacher Retirement

 

 

CONTACT PERSON:                                         Diane Pruett

                                                                                5 State House Station

                                                                                Augusta, Maine  04333-0005

                                                                                287-1316  or  287- 1635