AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the state must pay its bills before it borrows more money.

In his weekend radio address, the governor follows up on his State of the State speech last week. In that speech, he said the Legislature must tackle a $220 million dollar revenue shortfall now. This weekend, he says he’s “cautiously optimistic” the Appropriations Committee will come up with a solution by Wednesday.

LePage also acknowledges Democrats are calling for a bond issue. LePage says there’s a real need for transportation improvements and bonding would create shortterm construction jobs, but the state can’t talk about borrowing more money until there’s a plan to pay current bills.

In the Democratic response, Sen. Seth Goodall of Richmond says bonds are a first step toward revitalizing the economy.