“The future ain’t what it used to be,” Yogi Berra famously said, and the aftermath of a legislative session gives ample evidence of his sage observation. Below are bills related to labor and taxation. Other subject categories will be covered in a future report.

Labor bills that passed

• Pay range disclosure and employee pay history recordkeeping (LD 54)
• Regulate employer surveillance of employees (LD 61)
• Study the extent of workforce gender segregation (LD 522)
• Enhance Bureau of Labor Standards enforcement ability (LD 1587)
• Increase the safety & education fund assessment on WC insurers (LD 1993)
• Affirm self-insurance pooling of PFML administrative costs but not risk (LD 2018)
• Establish a monetary penalty for bounced payment of UI taxes (LD 2101)
• Update employer substance use testing policy requirements (LD 2110)

Labor bills that died

• Allow employees to request flexible work schedules (LD 60)
• Raise salary threshold for overtime pay (LD 599)
• Establish joint & several liability for labor law violations in construction industry (LD 2049)

Tax bills that passed

• Establish a voluntary pass-through entity tax (LD 2212, Part N)
• Establish a 2% surtax on incomes above $1,000,000 (LD 2212, Part DDDD)
• Phase-out retail property Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement (BETR) (LD 2212, Part O)
• Establish federal income tax conformity for Sec. 179 and small business R&D expensing (LD 2212, Part K)

Tax bills that died

• Adjust personal income tax brackets and raise top rate to 8.95% (LD 229)
• Raise the top corporate income tax rate to 10% (LD 1879)

Legislation to expand coverage of the Maine Retirement Savings Program was amended to remove the proposed expansion to employers with at least 3 employees. LD 355 as enacted clarifies sign-up flexibility for seasonal workers.

>>>>> For more information: https://legislature.maine.gov/