MAINE, USA — Every two years, Maine lawmakers spend months hashing out a budget, deciding how to disburse the money coming into state coffers. The state operates on a biennial budget, with a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Fiscal year 2025, for example, began on July 1, 2024 and ended on June 30, 2025. The current fiscal year is 2026.

The process begins with the governor, who introduces a budget document that is then transformed into a bill with help from the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which takes input from the public and various policy bodies and committees. Eventually, the bill heads to the full Legislature, which must approve it before the next fiscal year begins on July 1, in order to avoid a shutdown of state government.

The

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