The Maine Legislature must finish unfinished business.

“There are many important bills that deserve funding and will make a difference in the lives of Mainers.”

Christine Kirby, communications director for Senate President Troy Jackson, summed it up well last week with this simple statement:

The 131st Congress ended its session (at 5:30 a.m. at sunrise) without funding numerous bills that were approved by the House and supported by the Senate. These bills have the potential to bring about positive change across the state. Approximately $11.4 million remained unappropriated.

As of mid-last week, it was unclear whether the Appropriations Committee would return in a special session (requiring majority support from each party) or an extended session to fund these bills.

Any remaining funds that could be appropriated to revive bills that might die on the floor would be carried over to the next session if not appropriated. Spending “every last penny,” in the words of Sen. Peggy Rotondo, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is not recommended or commonly practiced.

Still, a more efficient and effective course of action seems to be to resume the good work that has already been done. The list of missed opportunities here can be very long. Among the highly valuable measures that still need funding is a bill that would require insurance companies to cover non-prescription contraception. A bill to expand property tax relief for low-income seniors. And a bill introduced by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross would create a civil rights division in the attorney general's office that could provide new resources to schools to teach African American and Wabanaki studies. It became so.

Could these and other funds be funded on or after so-called Veto Day? No one seems to know for sure.

The best available guidance on the question of whether a gubernatorial veto vote reinstatement can be used for other business dates back to 1977, when then-Attorney General Joseph E. Brennan made some available to the Legislature. This is a strange situation considering that we are emphasizing the option of

That means options are available. We hope that legislators will make the most of them, set new precedents, and realize the full potential of their jobs in the process.

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