By David Hench
The Press Herald
AUGUSTA — An emergency spending plan to cover major deficits at some of Maine’s county jails won unanimous support from the Legislature’s budget-writing committee Friday morning and appears to have the support of the governor’s office.
The progress led Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce to put on hold plans to close part of his jail and return inmates from other counties to their jails of origin.
The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee unanimously approved a $2.48 million funding measure designed to bail out the jails running deficits – those in Cumberland, York, Penobscot, Aroostook and Androscoggin counties.
The temporary measure still needs approval from the full Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage. While the governor’s office has declined to comment on the emergency funding, a press release from the House Republican Office said LePage collaborated in development of the plan, along with Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway, a committee member, and the committee’s Senate chairman, Jim Hamper, R-Oxford.
Full story: Emergency funding for Maine’s county jails gains key approval