Legislative action is at a gentle but increasing pace at the
beginning of March but will be roaring along before the month is over.
SESSION
Senate & House Sessions – 10 a.m. Tuesday & Thursday
LEGISLATION
As of today 678 bills have been printed.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/
Ideas for new legislation include:
·
Promote equity in the joint and several liability
law (LD 434)
·
Require rest breaks for employees in small
workplaces (LD 486)
·
Ramp up minimum wage to $10 by October 2018
& index starting 2019 (LD 487)
·
Ensure right to work without payment of union
dues or fees (LD 489)
·
Allow towns to have a portion of sales tax
collected from the town (LD 503)
·
Prohibit use of polystyrene in food service
containers (LD 568)
·
Increase penalties for writing bad checks (LD
577)
·
Create local option 1% sales tax by referendum
(LD 594)
·
Prohibit asking job applicants the year of their
high school graduation (LD 673)
·
Support working Maine families (LD 674)
·
Remove vacation pay offset from unemployment
benefits (LD 675)
FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY
Governor LePage now has a 21-page document, “Moving Maine
from Poverty to Prosperity,” that touts his ambitious income tax relief and
sales tax reform plan.
www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/publications/FINAL.Tax_Reform_Booklet.pdf
LOOKING BACK
Governor LePage spent over an hour last Tuesday at the NFIB
Legislative Breakfast explaining his tax relief and reform plan, commenting on
other aspects of the proposed 2016-2017 State Budget, and answering questions
from NFIB members in attendance.
Legislative guests included Sen. Rod Whittemore, Rep. Stephanie Hawke,
Rep. Stedman Seavey, and Rep. Nathan
Wadsworth (all of them NFIB members).
Attendance was below expectations, perhaps due in part to a sub-zero
morning, but those who did attend had an exceptional opportunity to interact
with the Governor, who was able to attend after a last-minute change in his
schedule.
LOOKING AHEAD
A public hearing will be held Monday (3/2) and a work
session Wednesday (3/4) on legislation that requires a corporation to have
approval from a majority of its shareholders before making political
contributions greater than $5,000.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=81&snum=127
The Taxation committee is expected to begin reviewing tax
provisions of the proposed State Budget and adopting a schedule for holding
work sessions prior to reporting back to the Appropriations committee.
KEY WEBSITES
Governor – www.maine.gov/governor
Legislature – http://legislature.maine.gov
