With one week to go before school vacation week, when most
legislative activity will be suspended, committees are nearly finished with
various briefings and beginning to hold hearings and work sessions on printed legislation.
SESSION
Senate & House Sessions – 10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday
(also 7 p.m. on Tuesday)
LEGISLATION
As of today 349 bills have been printed.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/
Ideas for new laws include:
-
An Act To Prevent Organized Retail Crime (LD 310)
-
An Act To Strengthen Recycling of Single-use
Plastic Bags (LD 325) -
An Act To Allow Equipment Rental Companies To Sell
Equipment Insurance (LD 329) -
An Act To Quantitatively Evaluate State
Contracts (LD 331)
GOVERNOR’S TAX PLAN GOES TO PUBLIC HEARING
He said last week in the State of the State address that
Mainers should be taxed on what they spend, not what they earn, and more taxes
should be paid by tourists. Next week
lawmakers on two committees will begin examining his tax proposal and overall
vision for the 2016-2017 State Budget.
NFIB Maine members will be surveyed on their views later this month.
His tax relief plan:
-
lowers the top bracket income tax to 5.75% from
7.95%, -
eliminates the Maine estate tax,
-
eliminates the corporate alternative minimum
tax, -
reduces corporate income tax rates,
-
reduces the short-term auto rental tax to 8%,
and -
reduces the meals tax to 6.5%.
His tax reform plan:
-
expands the sales tax to various services
-
domestic & household
-
personal
-
personal property but not auto repair
-
professional
-
recreation & amusement
-
exempts business-to-business services
-
-
raises the sales tax to 6.5%,
-
maintains the lodging tax at 8%
-
enacts a collection allowance for retailers
The Appropriations Committee public hearing schedule in Room
228, State House, includes:
-
Income & estate taxes at 1 p.m., Feb. 17
-
Sales taxes at 10 a.m., Feb. 23
www.maine.gov/legis/ofpr/appropriations_committee/schedule_agendas/index.htm
TRI-AGENCY REPORT ON WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SYSTEM
The latest annual report on the status of workers’
compensation and safety in Maine documents the level of insurance market
competition with 260 active insurers, relatively high level of self-insurance,
continued dominance of MEMIC, encouraging trends in frequency and severity of
injuries, and further shifts by the Workers’ Compensation Board in its
effective focus.
www.maine.gov/wcb/departments/triagencypublications.htm
EMPLOYER SURVEY ON MAINE DRUG-TESTING LAW
A report issued last month describes and quantifies the 247
responses to a survey last summer of employers and Maine’s drug-testing
law. Employers with a drug-testing
program cited health and safety as the primary reason for drug testing. Employers without a program cited a variety
of reasons including the existence of a federally-mandated program, potential
cost of maintaining a program, or a desire to simply dismiss an allegedly
employee without complications if the employer has a state-approved testing
program. Maine imposes burdens not found
in other states on employers that test for drugs.
www.maine.gov/labor/labor_stats/publications/substanceabuse/index.html
LOOKING AHEAD
Later this month NFIB Maine will hold its annual legislative
breakfast in Augusta. Details and online
registration can be found here:
www.nfib.com/event/maine-2015-legislative-day-in-augusta/
KEY WEBSITES
Governor – www.maine.gov/governor
Legislature – http://legislature.maine.gov
