Health Care, Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Legislative Rundown: First regular session of the 132nd Co-authored by James Myall, Arthur Phillips & Maura Pillsbury In the first half of 2025, MECEP presented 110 pieces of testimony before the Maine Legislature that affect […] MECEP Posted July 30, 2025 Tags Appropriations Committee, Budget, Caregiving, Child Care, Consumer Protection, Corporate Power, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Farmworkers, Health Care, Housing, Immigration, Income Tax, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Wednesday Sit-Down: Consumer protections In this week’s Wednesday Sit-Down, Garrett Martin, CEO of the Maine Center of Economic Policy, sits down with CBS 13 to discuss consumer protections. Click here to […] WGME Posted February 5, 2025 Tags Consumer Protection, Federal, Wednesday Sit Down
Taxes and Budget Wednesday Sit-Down: Supreme Court rules on consumer protections In this week’s Wednesday Sit-Down, Garrett Martin, CEO of the Maine Center of Economic Policy, sits down with CBS 13 to discuss a recent Supreme Court ruling […] WGME Posted June 5, 2024 Tags Consumer Protection, Federal, Wednesday Sit Down
Maine’s Economy Letter: Needed bill reins in big business Unfairly monopolizing industries is already illegal under federal and Maine law. But monopolization can be exceedingly hard to prove, especially under modern, pro-bigness court precedents. L.D. 1815 injects much […] Portland Press Herald Posted January 20, 2024 Tags Consumer Protection, Corporate Power, Economic Security
Jobs and Income Rent-a-bank schemes would undercut Maine’s borrower protections Maine has a long tradition of consumer protection, drawing on a shared commitment to transparency and fairness for borrowers. Lawmakers recently extended Maine’s track record by shoring […] Arthur Phillips Posted April 10, 2023 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Predatory Lending, Racial Equity
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Predatory Lending — An Explainer What is predatory lending? Lenders are considered predatory when they use practices that involve fraudulent, unfair, and abusive loan terms, including ultra-high interest rates and fees, aggressive […] Karin Leuthy Posted March 24, 2023 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Explainer, Inclusive Economy, Predatory Lending
Maine’s Economy Feeling the Pinch: Inflation and corporate consolidation Prices are rising and Mainers are feeling the pinch. At the same time, some of the world’s largest corporations are reporting record profits. The mismatch between Mainers […] James Myall Posted June 20, 2022 Tags Children, Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Inflation, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Education To help students finish their degrees and ease workforce challenges, Maine should reform transcript withholding College education is a critical tool for Mainers to boost their income and for a stronger economy. We should be seeking opportunities to support students, especially individuals from households with […] Arthur Phillips Posted February 15, 2022 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Education, Higher Education
Education Protections for private student loan borrowers protect seniors and people with disabilities In 2019, Maine led the nation by passing the Student Loan Bill of Rights (SLBOR) to address the predatory loan servicing practices that are exacerbating Maine’s student […] MECEP Posted May 18, 2021 Tags Consumer Protection, Education, Higher Education, Student Debt
Maine’s Economy Maine must continue its clampdown on predatory lenders Lawmakers in Augusta have done good work in recent years to begin curbing predatory payday lenders from saddling Mainers with crushing, unfair debt. Now, they have an […] Jody Harris Posted March 16, 2021 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security
