Even with recent gains in wages, many Maine families are still grappling with the affordability of necessities like food, housing, and medical care. This is especially acute for families with young children; according to one study 57% of Maine families are struggling with these costs. In the meantime, billionaires are getting richer at a historic rate, promoting and benefiting from the same inequalities that harm working people. Federal policies including Medicaid and SNAP cuts, tariff increases, tax breaks for corporations and millionaires, and expensive military interventions have worsened this affordability crisis, driving up costs and putting a greater budget burden on states.
Leaders in Maine have taken important steps toward addressing these challenges. The 132nd legislature and governor’s office made significant investments in people, workers, and communities in Maine, with efforts to repair and strengthen the social safety net, implement Paid Family and Medical Leave, expand the care economy, defend workers’ rights, and increase tax fairness.
There is much work left to be done at both the federal and state levels. Over the course of the next governor’s term and in the years to follow, policymakers have the opportunity to address current crises and long-term economic risks. To strengthen the state economy and give every Mainer a fair shot at the good life, the incoming governor and legislature can take the following steps.
Care for children and families
People across Maine deserve quality care for themselves and their loved ones. Care policies are popular and good for the economy, preventing more expensive long-term hospitalization and supporting the ability of caregivers and recipients to pursue meaningful lives and work. Communities can boldly defend and expand care systems in the state, ensuring every Mainer has access to affordable, high-quality health care and the support they need to care for their loved ones.
- Expand access to quality direct care for older Mainers and people with disabilities by increasing reimbursement rates to raise wages for direct care workers, enabling providers to hire and retain more staff.
- Make child care more affordable by strengthening the child care affordability program: raising reimbursement rates, expanding eligibility for families, and ensuring fair pay for educators.
- Strengthen our health system by defending rural hospitals and labor and delivery units, including proposed moratoriums on closures as well as steps toward taking at-risk hospitals and units into public ownership.
- Ensure that every Mainer can afford health care by controlling runaway pricing and taking steps towards or a strong public option.
Create and protect good jobs
Workers shouldn’t have to struggle to make ends meet, whether they are farmers or teachers, health care workers or clerks. Policymakers can ensure fair compensation and sustainable employment to make every job a good job. They can also prepare for a bright future by making investments in the industries of tomorrow.
- Support workers across industries and identities by strengthening overtime, scheduling, labor, and pay equity policies.
- Ensure strong and responsive government services by boosting state worker pay and limiting staff reductions.
- Expand career opportunities and training in high-need industries including health care, education, and sustainable infrastructure.
- Protect workers from unnecessary displacements by holding corporations accountable for AI-related job losses.
Build thriving communities
Every Mainer should have the chance to live a good life with access to excellent schools, affordable housing, quality care, and beautiful green spaces. Policymakers can ensure communities of all sizes have the infrastructure they need, whether in a rural, urban, or suburban part of the state. These investments will help working families, prepare for demographic changes, strengthen close-knit communities, support our economy, and create steady work in the construction and building trades.
- Help individuals, families, and older Mainers stay in their homes by building affordable, sustainable workforce housing near town centers, expanding the property tax fairness credit and progressive property tax options, pursuing rent relief efforts, and continuing to support and expand in-fill zoning reforms, weatherization, home repair, energy efficiency, and ADU building programs.
- Modernize infrastructure in alignment with recommendations for climate resilience, public safety, future-ready utilities, highway safety, transit, broadband, and intergenerational community centers.
- Invest in public education so there is high-quality, relevant, student-centered academic, arts, physical, social-emotional, and career and technical education for people of all ages in every community.
- Fully recognize Wabanaki sovereignty in civil legal jurisdiction, civil rights, environmental regulations, land stewardship, and self-governance, including amending the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act to increase access to federal laws and grant money that would support Wabanaki and state economies.
Ensure shared prosperity
Policymakers should prioritize revenue options that enable wealthy people and corporations to pay what they owe. By building a tax system that is fair, they can ensure every Mainer can enjoy life the way it should be, helping families afford to stay and thrive in their communities. They should also develop policies that protect consumers and limit corporate greed, particularly amid emerging technological changes.
- Make millionaires pay what they owe with wealth proceeds, inheritance, and individual income tax bracket reforms.
- Rein in corporate greed by closing loopholes, phasing out wasteful tax breaks, and implementing anti-monopoly and anti-price gouging bills.
- End subsidies to wealthy corporations by increasing the corporate tax rate, implementing a digital ad tax, phasing out wasteful tax breaks.
- Protect consumers and creators with smart, proactive AI regulations and taxes.