Governor Paul LePage doesn't think lawmakers will reach an agreement on a new state budget in time to avoid a state government shutdown on Friday.

Paul-LePage
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Speaking on WVOM-FM, LePage said "the future of Maine is worth shutting it down." One thing lawmakers can agree on is that a shutdown at the start of the summer tourist season would be costly. The Republican governor did say that he would make sure the state parks would remain open if a shutdown does occur.

 

The major stumbling block, according to the Associated Press, seems to be education funding. Both Republicans and Democrats agree to get rid of a voter-approved surcharge on affluent Mainers to help better fund education. They disagree over how much money needs to be allocated to make u that difference.

 

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