American Rescue Plan Act funding creates opportunity for Maine counties

Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide relief to states and localities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with its passage, an […]

Maura Pillsbury

Posted October 8, 2021

Tags Economic Security, Economy

Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget

Build Back Better promises to transform child care

The Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fundamentally change the lives of working people, families, and children in Maine. Among other pillars, the plan […]

Arthur Phillips

Posted September 29, 2021

Tags Budget, Caregiving, Children, Jobs, Wages

Taxes and Budget

House Ways and Means Committee tax plan rebalances tax code, boosts incomes for Mainers

New analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found provisions in a bill recently approved by the House Ways and Means Committee would improve tax fairness, boost incomes for a third of households in Maine, and increase taxes […]

Sarah Austin

Posted September 29, 2021

Tags Economic Security, Incomes, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes

Taxes and Budget

Child Tax Credit expansion reducing hunger, increasing security for Maine kids — Congress must continue this life-changing program

The Biden administration’s improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are cutting child hunger and improving economic security for families nationwide. About 4 out of 5 kids […]

Sarah Austin

Posted September 27, 2021

Tags Children, Coronavirus, Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Tax Fairness, Taxes

Taxes and Budget

Legislative watchdog finds Maine seed capital program needs fixing

Maine spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year in business tax incentives. Because allocating money for this purpose reduces potential investments in other priorities including education […]

Maura Pillsbury

Posted September 21, 2021

Tags Budget, Tax Breaks, Taxes

Taxes and Budget

State lawmakers make unprecedented investments in Maine communities and families this session

Lawmakers delivered unprecedented resources to Maine people and communities this year as federal dollars and strong state tax revenues supported historic levels of investment in response to […]

Sarah Austin

Posted September 10, 2021

Tags Budget, Caregiving, Children, Education, Higher Education

Jobs and Income

Latest data shows up to 95,000 Mainers risk losing unemployment benefits this week

As noted by Maine Center for Economic Policy in a previous article, September 4 marks the end of new federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs enacted by Congress […]

James Myall

Posted September 6, 2021

Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Federal, Unemployment, Wages

Education

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is broken — let’s fix it

Congress created the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program in 2007 to provide public service workers with student debt relief in exchange for a decade of service […]

MECEP

Posted September 1, 2021

Tags Education, Federal, Higher Education, Student Debt

Jobs and Income

Progress for Maine Workers in the first part of the 130th Legislature

After a particularly difficult year for Maine workers — during which many people labored under intense pressure and the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic — the […]

James Myall

Posted September 1, 2021

Tags Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Paid Sick Days, Wages

Taxes and Budget

Story of the Session: the fight for tax fairness

Mixed success The 130th Maine Legislature’s record on tax fairness is mixed. During one of the most chaotic and turbulent sessions in recent memory, the legislature was […]

Ryan Tipping

Posted August 16, 2021

Tags Budget, EITC, Estate Tax, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes

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American Rescue Plan Act funding creates opportunity for Maine counties

Build Back Better promises to transform child care

House Ways and Means Committee tax plan rebalances tax code, boosts incomes for Mainers

Child Tax Credit expansion reducing hunger, increasing security for Maine kids — Congress must continue this life-changing program

Legislative watchdog finds Maine seed capital program needs fixing

State lawmakers make unprecedented investments in Maine communities and families this session

Latest data shows up to 95,000 Mainers risk losing unemployment benefits this week

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is broken — let’s fix it

Progress for Maine Workers in the first part of the 130th Legislature

Story of the Session: the fight for tax fairness