Taxes and Budget Opinion: Slugger wants his money Special thanks to Maura Pillsbury at the Maine Center of Economic Policy for her research, which contributed greatly to this piece. Click here to read the full op-ed, […] Beacon Posted March 24, 2024 Tags Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Jobs and Income Maine lawmakers could still raise the minimum wage to $15 James Myall, a policy analyst with the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), asked members of the AFA and Labor and Housing committees to think of the […] Beacon Posted March 6, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Taxes and Budget Unions, economists blast Mills’ call for ‘fiscal restraint’ amid so many unmet needs “The governor’s new supplemental budget is a good start in bolstering Maine’s economy, but with so many unmet needs and an already full rainy day fund, now […] Beacon Posted January 31, 2024 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Report: Maine’s tax system creates more equality than states without an income tax “Maine’s tax code should help narrow income inequality, not widen it,” Maura Pillsbury, a state and local tax policy analyst with the Maine Center for Economic Policy, […] Beacon Posted January 10, 2024 Tags Tax Fairness, Taxes
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Maine businesses back rent relief bill to help them retain workers The letter highlights gaps in Maine’s housing policies that rent relief could fill with targeted and fast support. “The investments your administration has made to support building […] Beacon Posted January 8, 2024 Tags Housing
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Advocates call for Maine’s $139M surplus to be invested in housing, other critical needs Last week, MECEP released its annual “State of Working Maine” report that details how a lack of childcare, healthcare, support for immigrants and decades of under-production of […] Beacon Posted November 29, 2023 Tags Budget, Child Care, Economic Security, Economy, Housing, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Report: Childcare, housing shortages preventing Maine jobs from being filled A new report shows how a lack of childcare, healthcare, affordable housing, and support for immigrants is exacerbating Maine’s labor market crunch. Policymakers have long seen a demographic problem […] Beacon Posted November 29, 2023 Tags Child Care, Economic Security, Economy, Employment, Housing
Jobs and Income Union organizing is way up — but it’s not rising as fast as non-union job creation A new report by the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) about the state of labor organizing in Maine and around the country argues that both state and federal […] Beacon Posted September 18, 2023 Tags Unions
Education, Taxes and Budget Golden’s ‘Blue Dogs’ get money from Sallie Mae after opposing student debt relief It’s unclear how Golden defines working class, however, as 92,000 of his Second District constituents would be eligible under Biden’s plan. As Beacon previously reported, about 33% of managerial and professional households in […] Beacon Posted August 18, 2023 Tags Student Debt
Taxes and Budget Workers made big gains this session, but some important policies were deferred “I think paid family leave is definitely one of the biggest wins for workers and it will make a huge difference for many people,” said James Myall, […] Beacon Posted July 20, 2023 Tags Budget, Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Family and Medical Leave