Nearly two years ago, Republicans warned about the direction of Maine’s budget.
Facing a shortfall, legislative Democrats chose to raise taxes and fees. Republicans made our position clear: We would not ask Maine people to pay more for spending the state could not afford.
Democrats passed those increases without a single Republican vote.
In 2025, they raised taxes and fees on tobacco, cannabis, certain pension income, fishing licenses, concealed carry permits, arborist licenses, medical examiner services and paint. They also imposed a new tax on streaming services.
Earlier this year, they even increased Maine’s top tax rate.
And here we are again, facing another projected budget gap.
Hello, I’m Senator Joe Martin, and I have the honor of representing communities in Oxford and Franklin counties.
Maine’s Bureau of the Budget projects a General Fund gap exceeding $1 billion for the 2028-2029 budget cycle, along with a Highway Fund gap of nearly $257 million.
The state is once again on track to spend substantially more than it expects to collect.
We should be honest about how we got here.
For eight years, Democrats have controlled the governor’s office and the Legislature.
They passed a General Fund budget exceeding $12 billion for the current biennium, withdrew nearly $300 million from the Budget Stabilization Fund and tried to max out the state’s debt limit, leaving taxpayers with years of interest.
Despite record revenues, new and expanded taxes and substantial federal support, spending remains unsustainable.
Raising taxes did not solve the problem. It allowed Augusta to keep spending, and now we are facing another shortfall.
Before Augusta takes another dollar, taxpayers deserve an accounting of the billions already spent.
MaineCare alone has needed more than half a billion dollars in additional funding over the last two years. When a program requires that much additional money, it deserves close scrutiny.
Republicans have called for independent audits and stronger oversight. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money goes, who receives it and whether those payments are justified.
Even Maine’s Democratic state auditor has identified serious compliance deficiencies, including problems with the state’s $1.6 billion procurement process.
Suspected fraud should be investigated, improper payments recovered, administrative failures corrected and people who abuse the system held accountable.
These programs are supposed to serve people who truly need help. Every dollar lost to fraud, abuse or other waste undermines that purpose and burdens taxpayers.
But there is an even larger question:
What are Mainers getting for all this spending?
Are electric bills lower?
Is housing more affordable?
Is health care easier to find?
Are our roads better?
Are students doing better in school?
A government spending more than $12 billion should be able to deliver results without constantly demanding from taxpayers more money.
For eight years, legislative Democrats have controlled the governor’s office and the Legislature. These are the budgets they wrote and passed.
At some point, they have to take responsibility for them.
And if they didn’t create this problem — who else could it be?
Legislative Republicans are ready to address it.
That means independent audits, action against fraud and waste, a serious review of spending and ending programs that cannot justify their cost.
It also means protecting necessary services by putting them on sustainable financial footing.
And let me be clear:
Just as we did two years ago, legislative Republicans will oppose new taxes and fees.
We cannot keep repeating the same cycle: spend beyond our means, raise taxes, and come back two years later asking Maine people for more money.
Maine people have already paid enough.
They deserve a government that respects their work, accounts for their money and makes responsible decisions about what the state can afford.
Again, I’m Senator Joe Martin, and it is an honor to represent you in the Maine Senate.
Senator Joseph Martin represents Senate District 19, which includes communities in Franklin and Oxford counties. He is the Senate Republican Lead for the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the State and Local Government Committee.
