Health Care Maine Voices: Legislators must take action to keep prescription drug prices in line Countless Mainers suffer this economic burden stoically, but others are speaking out. At a recent hearing, some told heart-wrenching stories of struggling to pay for the basic […] Portland Press Herald Posted June 10, 2021 Tags Economic Security, Health Care
Education Maine lawmakers moving to provide free meals for students James Myall, an analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, told the committee food insecurity can affect a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and […] The Center Square Posted June 9, 2021 Tags Children, Economic Security, Education, Food Insecurity
Maine’s Economy There is hope for a rural Maine renaissance At the same time, I directed a Maine Center for Economic Policy project, Spreading Prosperity to All of Maine, which also highlighted opportunities for rural revitalization. The keys, we […] Bangor Daily News Posted June 8, 2021 Tags Economy, Recession
Jobs and Income Another labor crisis hits Maine: Parents can’t find child care Under the American Rescue Plan, Maine’s child care providers will be eligible for more than $120 million in federal funds to help keep their doors open, and ultimately […] Sun Journal Posted May 30, 2021 Tags Children, Job Quality
Health Care Maine lawmakers must fix the ACA for 34,000 Mainers in the family glitch All Mainers deserve access to affordable health care. The Affordable Care Act was intended to make this a reality, but tens of thousands of Mainers are excluded […] MECEP Posted May 26, 2021 Tags Affordable Care Act, Health Care
Jobs and Income Complex worker shortage problem strains businesses, employees in central Maine James Myall, policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the availability of workers depends on the industry. He does not think the extra unemployment […] Yahoo! News Posted May 22, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Employment, Job Quality, Unemployment
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
Health Care Dr. Evans introduces legislation to improve health coverage enrollment process According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2019, 8.1 percent of Maine people, or more than 100,000 residents, were uninsured, a number that has almost certainly gone up […] The Piscataquis Observer Posted May 13, 2021 Tags Health Care, Immigration, Inequality
Taxes and Budget Mills’ budget proposal lauded for prioritizing education, revenue sharing, MaineCare The Maine Center for Economic Policy also weighed in on the spending plan, which it called a “significant win for Maine families, especially those who struggled to […] Beacon Posted May 12, 2021 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Taxes
Jobs and Income Committee advances Rep. Cuddy bill to protect service employees from wage theft The threshold for being considered a tipped employee has not been significantly increased in over 50 years. While the law currently requires employers to supplement the base […] Penobscot Bay Pilot Posted May 10, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages