SESSION
Tuesday – Senate & House, 10 a.m.
Thursday – Senate & House, 10 a.m.
LEGISLATION
LD 1319 – LD 1423 printed
New titles of interest include:
- Clarify eligibility for unemployment benefits during labor disputes (LD 1341)
- Allow state, county, municipal employees to strike (LD 1348)
- Establish the Maine Domestic Trade Center (LD 1353)
- Require responsible contracting on public construction projects (LD 1382)
- Establish a commission to create a statewide economic development plan (LD 1393)
- Require remote sellers to collect and remit a sales and use tax on sales into Maine (LD 1405)
- Require insurance coverage for diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease (LD 1417)
- Clarify child labor laws and conform to federal laws (LD 1420)
MINIMUM WAGE HEARINGS DRAW HUNDREDS
Hundreds of people showed up in Augusta last Wednesday for hearings on bills that would restore (LD 673, LD 702) or study the tip wage credit (LD 1117) and bills that would create a training wage for youth (LD 774, LD 991), repeal indexing (LD 778), limit Maine’s minimum wage to the New England average (LD 775, LD 831, LD 971), and repeal future increases in the wage (LD 1005). The marathon hearing on the tip credit bills lasted from 10 a.m. to just past 10 p.m. More than 200 people testified or submitted statements. Tipped waiters and restaurant owners expressed strong support for restoring the tip credit. Opponents pushed back and said legislators should “respect the will of the people” who voted for the minimum wage ballot question last November. Restoration of the tip credit has a chance of being accepted. The hearing on the other minimum wage bills began around 10:15 p.m. and lasted to about 12:50 a.m. Stiff opposition makes acceptance of these other bills unlikely. No work session has been scheduled on any of the bills.
NOTABLE HEARINGS SCHEDULED
Here is a schedule of hearings on selected issues that may interest small business owners:
Apr.10, 10 a.m. – Labor, Research, Commerce & Economic Development
- Provide paid or unpaid family leave to employees depending on business size (LD 1159)
- Improve the lives of working families (LD 1155)
- Create modification factor to reduce workers compensation insurance rates for qualifying small employers (LD 913)
Apr.10, 10 a.m. – State & Local Government
- Ensure cost-efficiency in contracting out services by the State (LD 1193)
- Protect taxpayers in the privatization of State services (LD 1213)
Apr.11, 1:30 p.m. – Transportation
- Provide revenue to fix and rebuild Maine’s infrastructure (LD 1149)
- Establish a task force to assess mileage-based revenue as a substitute for the gas tax (LD 1150)
Apr.13, 1 p.m. – Insurance & Financial Services
- Encourage consumers to comparison shop for certain health care procedures in order to lower health care costs (LD 445)
