Legislators are back after the school vacation break and
tentatively scheduled for meet weekly until the session adjourns in June.
SESSION
Senate & House Sessions – 10 a.m. Tuesday & Thursday
LEGISLATION
No new legislation was printed this past week.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/
SALES TAX PLAN TO BE REVIEWED AT BUDGET HEARING
Legislators on the Appropriations and Taxation committees
are scheduled to hear testimony this Monday on those parts of the Governor’s
Tax Plan that affect sales tax rates and goods and services subject to the
general sales tax (Parts H & J).
NFIB will testify that small business owners are concerned about the
adverse effects of a higher sales tax rate (6.5% beginning 2016) and expansion
to various services (domestic & household, personal services, personal
property services, professional services, recreation & amusement services,
and installation, repair and maintenance services) but that they like the
proposed collection allowance and the new exemption for business-to-business
services. NFIB will also tell
legislators that definitions of what is a taxable service should be very clear
and that any expansion by interpretations of Maine Revenue Services should be
open to public notice and comment and applied on a going forward basis only.
NFIB will advise members of the budget and tax committees
that NFIB members have not yet taken a position on the Governor’s Tax Plan
overall.
www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/publications/FINAL.Tax_Reform_Booklet.pdf
Written testimony of various parts of the proposed State
Budget can be found here (“LR Testimony”):
http://legislature.maine.gov/bills/testimony.html#
EMPLOYER LIABILITY FOR WORKPLACE BULLYING
NFIB will submit opposition testimony at a public hearing
Tuesday afternoon on legislation that would make employers liable for
tolerating or failing to prevent abusive behavior in the workplace. “LD 188 could create a bottomless pit of
problems and legal costs for small employers to educate, monitor, and police
employees on what constitutes abusive behavior, ensure that it does not occur,
and interject when it does even if the alleged abuse might be due to
personality differences or other factors inherent in human dynamics,” NFIB says
in its statement. A work session is
scheduled for March 5 at 1 p.m.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=188&snum=127
BAN ON CELLPHONE USE WHILTE DRIVING
Two bills that restrict use of cellphones while driving will
be heard this Friday morning. LD 185
prohibits the use of cellphones unless in the hands-free mode. The bill exempts several categories of users
including holders of a commercial driver’s license and MDOT contractors if the
use is within the scope of their employment.
LD 246 is similar.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=185&snum=127
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=246&snum=127
LOOKING AHEAD
A public hearing will be held next Monday morning on labor
union legislation that could make it more difficult for an employer to talk
with an injured employee unless a representative of the employee is
present. LD 81 is similar to a proposal
in 2014 that was vetoed. As it did last
year, NFIB will oppose this attempt to add more conflict to the worker’s
compensation law.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=81&snum=127
KEY WEBSITES
Governor – www.maine.gov/governor
Legislature – http://legislature.maine.gov
