Maine’s Economy Almost 23,000 Mainers have lost food assistance over the last year — see how many live in your town Since the passage of President Trump’s signature legislation, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” in July last year, enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has […] James Myall Posted September 23, 2026 Tags Economic Security, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Maine’s Economy Federal policies are increasing hunger. Maine must find a path forward. In 2024, Maine reached the highest rate of food insecurity in a decade, with 14.5% of residents struggling to put food on the table. In total, an […] Portland Press Herald Posted August 17, 2026 Tags Economic Security, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Taxes and Budget HR 1 jeopardizes Maine’s budget with expensive cost shifts At a glance: HR 1 requires states to pay a share of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Maine’s share will be $62.5 to […] Mark Shaffer Posted July 9, 2026 Tags Budget, Federal, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Taxes and Budget Maine could face higher costs to keep SNAP program running Now, the future of Maine’s SNAP program is in question unless millions of dollars are paid to the federal government. “It essentially opens up a new kind […] WGME Posted June 30, 2026 Tags Budget, Federal, Revenue, SNAP, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget The hidden SNAP cut that keeps growing At a glance: Since passage of the Republican “Big Beautiful Bill,” 3.5 million people have lost SNAP benefits, and people who still qualify will get less help […] Mark Shaffer Posted June 23, 2026 Tags Budget, Federal, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Taxes and Budget Wednesday Sit-Down: SNAP impacts in Maine In this week’s Wednesday Sit-Down, James Myall, policy analyst from the Maine Center of Economic Policy, sits down with CBS 13 to talk about SNAP impacts in […] WGME Posted June 4, 2026 Tags Federal, SNAP, Wednesday Sit Down
Taxes and Budget Thousands of Mainers lose food assistance in wake of One Big Beautiful Bill changes Author’s note: This blogpost uses available data from March 2026. Some newer data from April 2026 is now available, showing the total reduction in Maine SNAP recipients […] James Myall Posted May 13, 2026 Tags Budget, Federal, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Health Care, Maine’s Economy 2026 Session Recap: Health care and the safety net The legislative session in 2026 was overshadowed by federal threats to food security and health care. In particular, the passage of HR 1 last year created a […] James Myall Posted April 30, 2026 Tags Budget, Federal, Health Care, Medicaid, SNAP
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Maine lawmakers have tools to stop the harms of the Republican reconciliation bill The Republican megabill passed by Congress in July (HR 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) will severely impact Mainers. This bill is a […] James Myall Posted December 19, 2025 Tags Budget, Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Health Care, Medicaid, Revenue, SNAP, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Mainers speak on food access and community: Jamie and Tracey Jamie and Tracey shared their stories as part of MECEP’s State of Working Maine 2025 report. Click here to read the full report. Jamie works at the Belfast Community […] MECEP Posted December 17, 2025 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Food Insecurity, Poverty, SNAP, Stories
