Gov. Mills slams lawmakers for advancing more spending bills [Video]

Gov. Janet Mills blasted the actions of Democratic lawmakers on the budget-writing committee Wednesday after they ignored her administration’s warnings against increasing the state budget and instead advanced 80 additional spending bills for floor votes.

A written statement from Mills’ office accused the lawmakers of “employing budget gimmicks like stripping fiscal notes, delaying effective dates and raiding other special revenue accounts.”

Last week, Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, and House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, announced that lawmakers would return to the State House on Friday not only to take up six bills vetoed by Mills as originally expected but also to consider advancing some of the 245 spending measures that had been approved by lawmakers but lacked funding needed to be sent to the governor for her signature.

Mills responded by urging lawmakers to “show fiscal restraint” and take up only her vetoes and avoid approving additional spending bills that would increase the state budget at a time …