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	Podcast:		Maine Things Considered
	Episode:		Appropriations Committee Announces Spending Agreement
	Category:		Government & Organizations
	Duration:		00:03:41
	Publish Date:		2018-06-11 14:13:38
	Description:		Lawmakers are making slow progress on addressing numerous bills and issues left unresolved from their second regular legislative session, which ended in early May. On Monday, the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee passed a $37 million spending package that could set the stage for resolving outstanding issues in a special session that could happen as early as next week. Most of the spending is for programs in the Department of Health and Human Services. Approval of the plan was swift and happened with little comment in public session. “They are really oriented towards providing services to people with disabilities, to seniors, to resolving or making some strides in solving the opioid crisis and Maine’s elderly,” said Westbrook Democrat Drew Gattine, who co-chairs the committee. Many of those programs leverage federal funds through the Medicaid program and address service backlogs in several areas. The match is nearly two federal dollars for every state dollar. Part of the money will
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