Maine Small Business News
This Week in Augusta – May 22, 2017 edition
Most committees are finishing up their work this week with last-minute hearings, work sessions, and reviews of amendments to legislation. Legislative sessions are now held on three days (Tuesday-Thursday), as lawmakers head toward a target adjournment date of June 21.
This Week in Augusta – 05.08.2017 edition
It’s crunch time in committees as they scramble to vote on bills by May 12. Hearings and work session schedules are as crowded as menus in some restaurants. Two significant work sessions include one in the Taxation Committee on bills concerning the 3% income surtax and one in the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee concerning bills to restore the tip credit, allow at training wage for you, and otherwise amend the minimum wage law passed by voters last November. Both work sessions will be held on May 10 (details below).
This Week in Augusta – 05.01.2017 edition
It’s May Day (also known as Law Day). This is a month of deadlines. Committees are expected to vote by May 12 on all bills that have been referred to committees and by May 26 to report out on all bills referred, which means full public hearing and work session schedules over the next three weeks.
This Week in Augusta – 04.24.2017 edition
New legislation is still trickling out as legislators grind away with busy committee schedules and mid to late May deadlines to send bills to the floor for action by the full legislature. This week the Maine Economic Growth Council will release its latest “Measures of Growth” report on various factors seen as important to the Maine economy.
Maine Small Business Issues
Workers' Compensation Battles
NFIB is working to protect business owners from renewed attempts by labor unions and their trial lawyer friends to advance legislation that would raise the cost of benefits and inject more disputes over the settlement of injury claims. Maine ranked 4th highest in the nation for the 2009-2012 increase in benefit costs per $100 of covered wages.
State Fiscal Policy Reform
NFIB is working to educate lawmakers on the need for spending reform at the state and municipal levels, so that any tax reform enacted does not make excessive spending a bigger problem, and educating lawmakers on the importance of more private sector jobs and business investment as a critical component of fiscal policy.
