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August 31, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Sawin Millett Named to National Committee on Budgets and Revenue

AUGUSTA – Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named Rep. Sawin Millett to an influential committee on government finances at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The two-year appointment to the Budgets and Revenue Committee, which takes effect immediately, will bring Rep. Millett into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to financial problems.

“The NCSL is an outstanding and very effective organization, and I’m honored by this appointment,” said Rep. Millett (R-Waterford), a sixth-term legislator. “The Budgets and Revenue Committee provides a forum for legislators to share information. In this era of revenue shortfalls and very tight state budgets, I’m looking forward to discussing financial strategies with legislators who are experiencing the same kind of budget problems that Maine is facing.”

The NCSL’s Budgets and Revenue Committee is one of 11 standing committees. It is responsible for protecting the states’ interests in federal decisions regarding fiscal matters, including annual action on the federal budget. It also examines federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including: funding for services and programs; budget processes; tax and revenue systems; unfunded mandates; and state-local fiscal relations.

In the current Legislature, Rep. Millett is the ranking Republican on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which exercises sweeping jurisdiction over state finances. Its areas of responsibility include: General Fund appropriations and general fiscal policy; federal funds allocations; special revenue and block grant allocations; Budget Stabilization Fund; bond issues; review of revenue estimates; budgeting methodologies; general fiscal policy; and financial evaluation of agencies of state government.

Rep. Millett, a retired teacher, said his new NCSL assignment will mesh well with his legislative duties and professional background. He has served as Maine’s Commissioner of Finance and as Commissioner of Administrative & Financial Services. He also served as Commissioner of Education from 1975 to 1979, following two terms in the Legislature.

Rep. Millett said one of the strengths of the NCSL is its firm support for state sovereignty. “At a time of growing federal encroachment on states’ rights, we’re fortunate to have this strong advocate for federalism,” he said. The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization. Its committees have no actual legislative authority. Instead, they attempt to educate Congress and federal agencies as to state concerns regarding the most pressing state issues.

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