Taxes and Budget A Better Path for Maine: The Case for Decriminalizing Drugs Maine spends $111 million to punish people for using drugs. The return on this investment: record shattering overdose deaths, thousands of people held back from reaching their […] MECEP Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget ACLU of Maine, MECEP release report on decriminalizing drugs Maine spends more than $100 million dollars per year to penalize people for possessing small amounts of drugs. Two nonprofit organizations released a report highlighting the harm criminalization […] Fox Bangor Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Advocates renew calls to decriminalize all drugs in Maine In 2019, the state spent $111 million on arresting, jailing, prosecuting and incarcerating people who use drugs. “They do not address the underlying causes of substance use […] Fox 23 Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Two Maine groups make case for decriminalizing drug use and possession The Maine Center for Economic Policy and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine discussed findings from their new report “A Better Path for Maine: The Case […] Portland Press Herald Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Report calls on Maine to decriminalize drug use and possession The ACLU of Maine along with the Maine Center for Economic Policy released a report on Monday calling on the state to decriminalize drug use and possession. […] WABI Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Maine ACLU, Maine Center for Economic Policy release report calling for drug decriminalization On Monday, the Maine ACLU and Maine Center for Economic Policy held a press conference, discussing a new report that recommends decriminalizing drug use and possession in the state. […] NewsCenter Maine Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Report: Maine bears staggering social, monetary costs associated with drug criminalization A new report from the ACLU of Maine and the Maine Center for Economic Policy finds that prosecution and incarceration associated with drug use and possession are costing […] Maine Public Posted March 21, 2022 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Taxes and Budget MECEP statement on the Governor’s announced budget change package AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) applauds the governor’s proposed additional funding for behavioral health services as a step toward addressing unmet needs left out of the original budget […] Posted March 18, 2022 Tags Budget, Health Care, Housing, Property Tax, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Legislature moving to curb ‘dark store theory’ tax assessments A report on “dark store theory” by the Maine Center for Economic Policy said that when a big box retailer moves to a new location, it often […] Sun Journal Posted March 15, 2022 Tags Dark Stores, Property Tax, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Our View: Law would level playing field between communities, big retailers Since 2015, large retailers in Maine have lowered their valuations by more than $16 million combined using this strategy, costing cities and towns hundreds of thousands of […] Portland Press Herald Posted March 14, 2022 Tags Dark Stores, Property Tax, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes