We are at the halfway point in the 2015 legislative session,
which is due to adjourn in mid-June if all goes well, bills are still being
printed, and the volume of public hearings and work sessions is mounting rapidly.
SESSION
Senate & House Sessions – 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday
LEGISLATION
As of today 1,159 bills have been printed
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/
Ideas for new legislation include:
· Create the crime of intentional interference
with business operations (LD 1096)
· Create a retail worker bill of rights (LD 1101)
·
Modernize road use fees (LD 1110)
· Amend the laws governing the filing of wage statements
by employers and clarify the statute of limitations under the Maine Workers’
Compensation Act of 1992 (LD 1119)
· Promote reemployment of unemployed workers (LD
1137)
KEY HEARINGS THIS WEEK
Bad Checks – NFIB will support legislation that increases
the penalties for writing bad checks (LD 577).
The Criminal Justice & Public Safety committee is holding a hearing
March 30 at 1 p.m.
UI Successor Law – NFIB will support legislation from the
Department of Labor that gives flexibility on what experience rate is assigned
to the new owner of an existing business (LD 701). The LCRED committee is holding a hearing
March 30 at 9:30 a.m.
Quarterly Payroll Reports – The LCRED committee is holding a
hearing March 30 at 9:30 on legislation from the Department of Labor that
allows employers to file separate quarterly withholding and unemployment tax
forms electronically (LD 702).
Vacation Pay – NFIB will oppose another attempt to remove
the partial offset for vacation pay when a worker files for unemployment
benefits (LD 675). A similar attempt in
2013 was vetoed. The Labor, Commerce,
Research & Economic Development committee (LCRED) is holding a hearing
April 1 at 1 p.m.
KEY WORK SESSIONS THIS WEEK
Governor’s Tax Plan – The Taxation committee will continue
to work on what it will recommend to the Appropriations committee for action on
the Governor’s tax plan. Democrats and
Republicans on the committee held separate caucuses last week to talk about
what they would like to see in the report.
Neither group seems to support allowing municipalities to tax certain
large nonprofits or to eliminate revenue sharing with municipalities. Scaling back income tax relief for
individuals and corporations, dropping the proposed expansion of the sales tax
to professional services, and keeping the tax at 8% on meals and lodging are
among provisions where both caucuses may find agreement. The Taxation committee will make a progress
report on April 1 to the Appropriations Committee but a final report with
recommendations is not expected until later in April.
Plastic Bags – The Environment & Natural Resources
committee meets April 1 at 2 p.m. to consider what action to take on
legislation that would impose a fee on single-use plastic bags (LD 325, LD 396,
LD 680). NFIB opposes this legislation.
Single-Payer Health System – The Insurance & Financial
Services committee meets March 31 at 1 p.m. to consider what action to take on
legislation that would study the design and implementation of a universal
healthcare payment system in Maine (LD 384, LD 815). NFIB opposes the legislation and in a
statement at the public hearing urged lawmakers to be mindful of the finding
last year in Vermont that such a system would be hugely expensive and result in
significant tax increases.
Holiday Opening of Stores – The Labor, Commerce, Research
& Economic Development committee meets April 1 at 1:30 to consider action
on legislation that raises the size limit to 10,000 square feet of stores
allowed to be open on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (LD 613). The store would have to be operated and
staffed only by the owner or an immediate family member of the owner.
MINIMUM WAGE MAY SPLIT BUSINESS LOBBY & ALLIES
It appears the some segments of the business community and
some of their allies may flash a green light on raising the $7.50 minimum wage
to a higher level such as $9 an hour.
One major business group told lawmakers at a public hearing last week on
bills that propose raising the wage anywhere from $8 to $12 an hour:
“From our observation, the
reality of this public policy issue probably falls somewhere between doing
nothing and raising the minimum wage. Perhaps the time has come, given the
unlikelihood that the federal government will act on this issue, for Maine to
address the minimum wage situation unilaterally in a measured way.”
NFIB is advising lawmakers that any increase will increase
costs for small business owners, that small employers are disproportionately
affected, that there is a ripple effect on wages up to 150% of whatever is set
as a new minimum wage, and that justifying a higher wage based on what Walmart
does is grossly unfair to small businesses.
NFIB calculations indicate an $8 wage would cost an extra $1,147 per
full-time positon at minimum wage; $9 an hour would cost an extra $3,442; and,
$12 an hour would cost an extra $10,325 – based on the cost above $7.50 and
including payroll taxes charged the employer.
The Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic Development
committee meets March 31 at 1 p.m. to consider the various minimum wages bills
on their agenda.
LOOKING AHEAD
Victims of Violence Workplace Leave – A hearing will be held
April 6 at 9:30 a.m. on legislation that increases the leave form the workplace
a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence may take (LD 921). NFIB will urge lawmakers to not tie the hands
of small employers who make reasonable accommodations for their workers.
Family Caregivers Leave – A hearing will be held April 6 at
9:30 on legislation that expands the family & medical leave act (FMLA) to
include grandparents and great-grandparents of employees (LD 960). NFIB will urge lawmakers to consider the
effects on small employers and avoid imposing new legal burdens for matters
that employers already handle informally. LD 960 would represent a major expansion of Maine’s FMLA law. Maine already has one of the most controlling
laws in the nation.
