Taxes and Budget Testimony on L.D. 695 and L.D. 707, bills to expand Maine's Earned Income Tax Credit and make it refundable MECEP strongly supports LD 695 and LD 707. Expanding the state earned income tax credit and making it refundable are two of the best actions this Committee […] MECEP Posted March 31, 2011 Tags EITC, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Why are people leaving The County? Recent census data shows that Aroostook County is losing population. Applying the logic contained in a recent blog post from the State Treasurer’s office, the main reason […] Garrett Martin Posted March 25, 2011 Tags Economy, Jobs, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Testimony on L.D. 423 and L.D. 1147, bills to weaken or eliminate Maine's Estate Tax With this Legislature currently facing an $840 million revenue shortfall, now is not the time to pass these bills or any other that unnecessarily weakens the estate […] MECEP Posted March 21, 2011 Tags Estate Tax, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Education KIDS COUNT! On Thursday (3/17), MECEP Partner The Maine Children’s Alliance released their much anticipated 2011 annual KIDS COUNT data report. “The long-term success of our state begins with […] Mark Sullivan Posted March 18, 2011 Tags Children, Education, EITC, Health Care, TANF
Taxes and Budget MECEP Continues to Inform the Debate on Proposed State Budget On March 4, 2011, MECEP hosted “Budgeting for Jobs?,” our 10th State Tax & Budget Conference. Many of those in attendance asked for copies of materials the […] Mark Sullivan Posted March 11, 2011 Tags Budget, Taxes
Jobs and Income Fact Sheet: Making Work Pay: Maine's Minimum Wage MECEP’s analysis shows that Maine workers, Maine businesses and Maine’s economy all benefit from a minimum wage that keeps pace with the cost of living. Making Work […] MECEP Posted March 11, 2011 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Minimum Wage
Jobs and Income Testimony on L.D. 447 and L.D. 457, Proposals Regarding Maine's Minimum Wage MECEP supports passage of both of these bills because it is critically important for policymakers to implement policies that preserve economic security and opportunities for Maine workers, […] MECEP Posted March 11, 2011 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Minimum Wage
Jobs and Income Testimony on L.D. 516, “An Act To Amend Maine Law To Conform with Federal Law Regarding Employment Practices for Certain Minors” MECEP has reservations about L.D. 516 because we believe it effectively eliminates reasonable, long-standing protections that ensure our teenage workers strike a proper balance between education and […] MECEP Posted March 9, 2011 Tags Job Quality, Jobs
Taxes and Budget Testimony on LR 2067 (Governor’s Biennial Budget) Parts Regarding Public Assistance and Eligibility As the Committees and Legislature review the proposed budget, it is important to acknowledge the significant context in which this budget is proposed: the persistent high unemployment […] MECEP Posted March 7, 2011 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Maine Revenue & Spending Primer 2011 MECEP’s primer is designed to provide a simple overview of Maine’s revenue and expenditures at the municipal and state levels to assist policymakers and taxpayers to make decision on tax and budget issues. It addresses state […] Jody Harris Posted March 4, 2011 Tags Revenue, Taxes