[Local-Maine-Schools] (4/09 rounds 2&3) Appropriations' subcommittee and, briefly, Appropriations

[Brian Hubbell]

Showing remarkable endurance, after their early morning work session
and reporting to the full Appropriations Committee this afternoon, the
subcommittee returned to work session again this afternoon.

In the session, they settled on requiring a written, district-wide
referenda for all district budgets in 08' for first year ('09) budget
and for next two years for any budgets which are over EPS.  After
three years, they are asking the Education Committee to review that
requirement.

Discussions between MSMA and MEA about contracts are "stalemated" over
how bargaining units are transferred.

At the Appropriations meeting earlier this afternoon, which I could
listen in on only briefly, my sense of the full Appropriations
Committee's view of the subcommittee's proposal was that there were a
number of committee members (exemplified by Senator Martin) who would
have enjoyed a "harder-line".

>From our point of view, the friendlier voices were limited to,
perhaps, Rep Valentino and Rep Flood, and maybe co-chair Fischer --
and by that I mean that they were merely supportive of the
subcommittee's product, rather than suggesting that it should be
firmer, harder, and more durable with fewer exceptions.

The subcommittee plans to meet again tomorrow and be ready to brief
their respective caucuses on Wednesday.  May also be caucusing at
lunch tomorrow.