March 28, 2024
Archive

Workers try to finish State House renovation

AUGUSTA – State House construction crews were working flat out Friday, trying to ensure that most of the refurbished building will be open for business when the Legislature reconvenes Wednesday.

Legislative staffers who had been situated in trailers outside the building for months were back inside and unpacking in advance of the opening day session on the day after New Year’s.

Legislative leaders say plans call for lawmakers to get down to serious business immediately. Topping their agenda will be a budget shortfall pegged at around $250 million.

Lawmakers hoping to see Gov. Angus King’s new budget package, however, may have to wait a while longer.

King spokesman Tony Sprague said the governor’s proposal may not be ready next week when the Legislature reconvenes. State Budget Officer John Nicholas said late changes still were being made at the department level.

State tax collections are projected to fall $248.6 million short for the current two-year budget cycle. Without new sources of revenue, that would make spending cuts inevitable.

The biennial shortfall amounts to close to 5 percent of General Fund revenue.

King’s budget chief, Janet Waldron, has said the administration was trying to bridge the gap without proposing new taxes or a reduction in state aid to local schools.

One likely target is the state Rainy Day Fund, which holds slightly more than $100 million in uncommitted money.

The administration has said unilateral steps to date, including a freeze on some hiring and a reduction in grants, have generated savings of more than $15 million.

Appropriations Committee lawmakers had urged the administration to make its budget package available even before the House and Senate return, if possible.

Administration officials said Friday that would not happen.

Few lawmakers were at the State House as construction work continued at a frantic pace. Staff members on the reopened House of Representatives side of the building were settling in as packing boxes and furniture were wheeled into place.

Parts of the building remained closed off.

The State House renovation has coincided with a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Burton Cross State Office Building next door.

As part of the capitol complex face-lift, the old state Education Department building was razed.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like