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NFIB Maine Legislative Update for May

May 5, 2023

NFIB Maine Legislative Update for May

May is typically the month when big issues receive a public hearing and committees scramble to make decisions in order to meet a May 26th deadline for voting on bills that have been heard. Extensions can be obtained for some particularly major or thorny issues. Some bills are carried over to the 2024 session, to allow consideration during a lighter workload. More than 1,900 bills were printed by early May; as many as 100-200 new bills are still expected. https://legislature.maine.gov/ Paid Family Leave (LD 738) is expected to propose implementation of recommendations made by a two-year study commission. The commission recommended a paid leave program that applies to all employers regardless of size, covers all workers, provides an opt-in for self-employed people, entitles workers to take 12-16 weeks annually of job-protected leave annually for family leave, caregiving and safe leave, and establishes a tax on wages/earnings that would raise over $400 million annually (according to actuarial projections). The only concession to very small employers – those with fewer than 15 employees – would be to make the employer share of the payroll tax voluntary. Gov. Janet Mills, who is taking an active interest in the issue, has reached out to various employers, business groups, key legislators, and proponents of a paid leave law, as well as government officials in states that have already enacted a paid leave law. She is expected to recommend adjustments that may make paid leave easier for employers to handle and take a measured approach to implementation and administration of the program. NFIB knows that she is concerned about the impact on small employers, the difficulties of both private and public employers in adequately staffing workplaces, as well as the overall size of the program. (In terms of eligibility and cost, a paid leave program would be the largest mandated workplace entitlement program in existence.)

>>> Proponents claim a Paid Family & Medical Leave Mandate is good for small business. What do you say?

>>> YOU are the key. Take a stand against mandated Paid Family & Medical Leave.

https://legislature.maine.gov/commission-to-develop-a-paid-family-and-medical-leave-benefits-program http://www.mainesenate.org/sen-daughtry-rep-cloutier-present-final-report-from-paid-family-and-medical-leave-commission/ Energy bills include:

Create the Pine Tree Power Company to replace investor-owned utilities (LD 1611, Citizen Ballot Initiative)

Labor bills include:

Amend the Equal Pay law to prohibit pay discrimination based on race (LD 1703)
Protect employee freedom of speech (LD 1756)
Modernize child labor laws to provide more flexible working hours (LD 1831)
Index workers compensation benefits to the rate of inflation (LD 1896)

Tax bills include:

Add new income tax brackets, raise top rate to 8.75%, impose a 3% surtax on incomes of $1-$10 million and 6% surtax on incomes over $10 million (LD 1866)
Support Maine Businesses through a childcare tax credit and a pass-through entity tax (LD 1891)

A paid family leave mandate is the biggest issue to face Maine employers. NFIB will alert you once specific details of legislation are known – and advise you on how to let legislators and the Governor know about the potential impacts on your business.

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NFIB Maine Legislative Update for May

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