May is also a time when the Appropriations Committee and legislative leaders begin wrestling with the big issues concerning the proposed biennial State Budget, which this year means wrestling with elimination of the 3% income surtax, determining education and human services funding levels, and finding ways to legislate increased tax revenues. Separately, action to restore the tip wage credit will move into the committee recommendation phase (followed later by the Senate and House floor action phase).
SESSION
Tuesday – Senate & House, 10 a.m.
Thursday – Senate & House, 10 a.m.
LEGISLATION
LD 1531 – LD 1566 printed
New titles of interest include:
- Modernize the State’s procurement laws (LD 1535)
- Protect consumers’ freedom of choice in auto collision repairs (LD 1540)
- Establish primary energy goals for the State (LD 1547)
- Make numerous amendments to the Maine tax laws (LD 1550)
- Conform Maine child labor law to federal law (LD 1564)
- Restrict use of criminal history information in hiring decisions by employers (LD 1566)
ECONOMIC GROWTH REPORT ISSUED
Maine made progress on two fundamental performance indicators and fell behind on a third, according to the latest “Measures of Growth” report issued by the Maine Economic Growth Council. State domestic product growth from 2014 to 2015 did not outpace that of New England or the United States; however, per capita personal income and total jobs did exceed benchmarks. Value added per worker gained slightly but still trails the U.S. average by 24 percent and the rate of poverty also declined slightly, according to the report.
In addition to state domestic product growth, a red flag, to highlight a need for attention, was given to:
- Research and development spending
- Fourth grade reading scores
- Post-secondary educational attainment
- Working age population
- Transportation infrastructure
Gold stars. Signifying exceptional performance, were given to international export growth, air quality, and water quality.
The full report and highlights can be found on the Maine Development Foundation website (mdf.org).
NOTABLE HEARINGS SCHEDULED
Here is a schedule of hearings on selected issues that may interest small business owners:
May 1, 12 p.m. – Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic Development
- Coordinate and enforce existing workplace training requirements for sexual harassment (LD 1477)
May 2, 1 p.m. – Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic Development
- Prohibit a prospective employer from asking about an applicant’s compensation history until after a job offer has been made (LD 942)
- Expand the Maine Human Rights Act to include prohibition on inquiring about an applications’ compensation history before a job offer is made and prohibit employers from restricting employees from discussing or disclosing other employees’ wages (LD 1259)
- Expand the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) and strengthen Maine’s workforce development programs (LD 1467)
May 3, 1 p.m. – Taxation
- Allow a local option tax on meals and lodging (LD 1230)
- Allow a local option sales tax (LD 1265)
- Require the State to return to a municipality 5% of the sales tax collected during the previous year from the municipality (LD 915)
May 4, 1 p.m. – Insurance & Financial Services
- Promote a single-payer, universal healthcare system (LD 1274)
- Ensure patient protections in Maine health insurance laws similar to certain Obamacare protections (LD 127)
May 9, 1 p.m. – Judiciary
- Increase efficiency in enforcement of the Maine Human Rights Act (LD 1239)
NOTABLE WORK SESSIONS SCHEDULED
Here is a schedule of work sessions on selected issues that may interest small business owners:
May 2, 1 p.m. – Insurance & Financial Services
- Ensure continued coverage for essential health care (LD 1476)
May 3, 9 a.m. – Judiciary
- Increase jurisdictional limits for small claims (LD 283)
May 3, 1 p.m. – Judiciary
- Ensure liability equity in awarding of compensation for tort claims (LD 194)
May 3, 1 p.m. – State & Local Government
- Require responsible contracting on public construction projects (LD 1382)
May 4, 1 p.m. – Taxation
- Tax political expenditures during an election (LD 1285)
- Change the Maine estate tax exemption amount to $1 million (LD 1276)
May 4, 2:30 p.m. – Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic Development
- Ensure fair employment opportunity for Maine citizens and legal residents (LD 1307)
May 9, 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)
- Promote a single-payer, universal healthcare system (LD 1274)
- Ensure patient protections in Maine health insurance laws similar to certain Obamacare protections (LD 127)
May 10, 10 a.m. – Taxation
- Decrease tax rate on income above $200,000 to 4.15% so that addition of 3% surtax will equal the 2016 top rate of 7.15% (LD 291)
- Repeal the 3% surtax imposed on income above $200,000 (LD 337)
- Eliminate the 3% surtax and replace lost revenue with revenue from tax on recreational marijuana and surplus revenues in the General Fund (LD 571)
- Use taxes on nonmedical marijuana and increase the tax on cigarettes to partially offset the 3% income tax surcharge (LD 708)
- Increase 3% surtax income thresholds to $300,000 for heads of households and $400,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns (LD 829)
- Repeal the 3% surtax and revote the issue in a November 2018 referendum question (LD 851)
