Maine Gov. Janet Mills says her budget proposal is sound and the state’s financial health is strong.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills told Maine lawmakers Tuesday night that her budget proposal is sound and the state’s financial health is strong enough to withstand “any economic challenges that may arise.”

The Governor previously unveiled a $10.3 billion two-year budget proposal as a starting point for legislative deliberations.

“This budget proposal is strong. It is balanced. It lives within its means. It does not require higher taxes. crisis,” Mills said.

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The budget represents an increase of 10% over the previous budget. But the Revenue Forecasting Committee projects that the state will receive $10.5 billion in the next two years, Mills said. The budget proposal leaves the state’s rainy day fund intact at an all-time high of more than $900 million.

In her budget address to the joint session of the Legislature, the governor referred to a quote attributed to the late All-Star baseball player Yogi Burra: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there. The Governor added, “Well, we know where we’re going and this budget is our plan to get there.”

But Republicans have expressed concern about the size of the budget.

Senator Trey Stewart, Senate Republican leader from Presque Isle, described the budget as “another episode of crazy spending” and said it needed to be cut by $1 billion.

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“There are too many people here who think that doing great things means spending more money,” said Rep. Billy Bob Falkingham, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, from Winter Harbor.

Gov. Janet Mills delivers the Budget Statement at the State House in Augusta, Maine on February 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)

The Governor’s proposal built on her previous budgets by continuing to fund 55% of local education, offering free college tuition for recent high school graduates, providing free school meals for all students, and building more housing for the workforce.

As many grapple with their heating bills, the Governor has set a goal to increase renewables from the current 48% to 100% of electricity by 2040, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, lowering energy costs and creating clean energy jobs.

The budget also included an expansion of medical care and additional assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities.

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Among other highlights

— Mills announced plans to tackle the opioid epidemic by increasing the availability of naloxone overdose antidote by 25% and, with the Attorney General’s financial support, doubling the number of trained people who can accompany police on drug calls to get people to services.

Mills said she intends to improve children’s well-being by appointing a substance abuse expert in each child protection county to identify risks for children, helping parents get into treatment programs and expanding family recovery courts.

She said she would give $400 million to the state Department of Transportation to use hundreds of millions of dollars in federal dollars for roads, bridges and highways.

She said her proposal would fund four new district judges to help reduce backlogs, as well as more clerks and bailiffs.

Mills also said she welcomed the legislature’s scrutiny of cases in which several children were killed by their parents, saying those cases should be scrutinized.

On housing, a chronic problem of rising homelessness, she announced her support for the Housing First Bill, which recognizes that housing addresses not only homelessness, but other issues, including mental illness and substance abuse disorders. “Tonight, I call on the Legislature to send this bill to my desk. I will sign it,” she said.

The Governor reacted to the fact that her speech was delivered on Valentine’s Day. Lobster chocolate treats were placed on tables for legislators to grab before leaving.