BATH — Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, will discuss Maine’s biennial budget, which lawmakers are currently considering in Augusta, during an event tonight in Bath.

The talk will be hosted by Invisible Sagadahoc, a local activist organization. Jessica Mahnke, one of the group’s founders, said that the group wanted to host this event due to the fact that so few people truly understand the state  budget process, despite its importance.

The talk is set for 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Bath City Hall.

“The budget is central in sorting out which bills will be passed. It sort of informs the rest of the legislative process, and it’s a little bit of a mystery to us how it happens,” she said. “And if it’s a mystery to us, we figured it’s a mystery to other people.

In her first year in office, Gov. Janet Mills has proposed a two-year, $8 billion budget for the state. Typically, lawmakers have until the end of the legislative session to get a budget passed, but that hasn’t always been enough time. In 2017, after the legislature was unable to pass a budget in time, the state government was shut down for three days until leaders could agree on a deal that then-Gov. Paul LePage signed.

Along with discussing the budget, Vitelli will give some insight into what major bills are being considered by the legislature. She will also be taking questions from the audience.

“There is a whole slew of legislative bills that are either in public hearings or in committee, and we’d like a leg up on seeing what’s coming down the pike and what issues we might be interested in learning more about,” said Mahnke.

nstrout@timesrecord.com