Legislative Council Votes 7 – 3 to give Legislators Laptops despite Budget Difficulties

For Immediate Release

March 12, 2008

Augusta – Senate Republican Leader Carol Weston (R-Waldo) recently voted against giving laptops to legislators.

Speaker Glenn Cummings originated the idea of having laptops for legislators; he even signed a contract before the Legislative Council approved the idea. He then lobbied several members of the Council to provide the majority of votes needed to initiate a pilot program.

“Some Democrats are going to propose tax increases in the coming weeks because of the budget difficulties our state faces, yet the majority of legislators on Legislative Council have no problem spending additional tax dollars on laptops for legislators,” Senator Weston said.

The pilot program will cost tax payers an estimated $50,000 with another $550,000 being spent to fully implement the plan. This coming at the same time the Governor’s supplemental budget and “change package” were released. The current budget gap, not including the unfunded liability, exceeds $200 million.

“It is unfortunate that in a time when we should be reforming our tax structure and controlling spending the majority of the Legislative Council see fit to spend money on a pilot project that likely won’t even be installed until next session. Speaker Cummings and the members of the Legislative Council who voted for this expense have saddled the next legislature and Maine’s tax payers with this frivolous project and that is irresponsible,” Weston concluded.

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