Gov. LePage Orders Immediate Budget Curtailment

AUGUSTA - Despite the closure of government offices, Gov. Paul LePage issued an executive order Thursday, directing state agencies to implement temporary budget cuts.

It's an effort to correct a nearly $36 million gap in projected tax revenues.

And as tends to be the case, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services woll bear the brunt of curtailment--those agencies comprising an overwhelming 80 percent of the overall budget.

Focusing in on the four hardest-hit recipients of state dollars, each absorbing over $1 million in cuts...

Health and Human Services is on track for $13 million in reductions--Education just under $13 million.

Within HHS, state-funded foster care and adoption assistance, and the agency's Bureau of Mental Health accounting for about a third of the department's overall cuts.  

That's expected to impact 800 families and over 1,200 children. 

And out of the 200 school systems facing cuts, Bangor is slated to lose over $270,000 in funds, from an original allocation of over $36 million.

Meanwhile, the University of Maine System and the Department of Corrections in the neighborhood of $2 million.

All of the cuts are temporary, as lawmakers will have to sign off on them in January.

The Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet next week to begin work.