Democrats have challenged Republicans to show them how they would balance the state budget by next Friday the 13th or else drop their plans for a people’s veto to block $447 million in borrowing.

“Come forward with a budget proposal – a specific line-item balanced budget document that is supported by leadership,” challenged Majority Leader Sen. Michael Brennan of Portland at a press conference on Tuesday. “If you do this, we will consider hearing it as an amendment to the Part 2 budget in the coming weeks.”

“They can go fly a kite,” responded Minority Leader Sen. Paul Davis of Sangerville. “It’s their budget. They’re the ones that created this mess,” he said, and the $447 million in borrowing included in it is threatening “to drive the state right over the cliff.”

The Democrats made their challenge in response to a people’s veto petition being circulated by Republicans to block borrowing $447 million by floating revenue bonds. The borrowed money is earmarked for education funding and to pay down some of the debt owed the state employees retirement fund.

Democrats say the Republicans never made a serious counter-offer to the budget proposal and now want to play politics. The budget was approved at the end of March and will go into effect July 1. If 50,000 signatures are collected on the people’s veto petition by the end of June, however, the borrowing in the budget will be suspended until a statewide vote is held in November.

“The budget veto stunt could easily be avoided,” said Rep. Glenn Cummings of Portland, the majority leader in the House. “By showing leadership – by putting the interest of our state above the interests of their party – and by telling voters what they have in mind as an alternative.”

Davis said they have no intention of putting out a line-by-line document only to have it “simply picked apart.” He does, however, keep a list in his office drawer of areas that could be cut to fill the budget hole without borrowing. It includes:

• taking $25 million out of the Dirigo Health fund, or about half.

• eliminating some of the state’s 500 vacant positions.

• putting the breaks on new Medicaid programs, including the Medicaid expansion to parents making 200 percent of federal poverty or less announced Monday.

• asking state workers to pay $500 per person in out-of-pocket expenses under their health care plans for a savings of $20 million.

• redirecting $13 million in racino profits to the general fund.

• consolidating some state departments, for example IF&W and Marine Resources, for a savings of $10 million.

• reducing state government by 5 percent, with each percentage point worth $38 million, if you don’t include general purpose aid and debt service.

Senate President Beth Edmunds of Freeport said, “the time for rhetoric is over. It’s time for those who are serious about leading this state to stand up and put their plan on paper for all to see.”

Davis said there will be no paper, but he’s willing to negotiate.

“If they want to sit down and talk, we’ll talk,” Davis said.