Health Care Testimony at Hearing on LD 1670, An Act To Extend the Scope of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association MECEP has been consistent in highlighting that PL 90’s reinsurance program effectively subsidizes the individual insurance market and helps drive down the average cost and premiums within […] MECEP Posted February 15, 2012 Tags Health Care
Jobs and Income Testimony at Hearing on LD 1786, An Act to Repeal the Requirement That the Department of Labor Calculate the Livable Wage MECEP opposes LD 1786. The livable wage is a useful tool for benchmarking Maine’s wages. It provides job seekers, employers, and policymakers useful information to assess the […] MECEP Posted February 15, 2012 Tags Incomes, Jobs
Jobs and Income Testimony at Hearing on LD 1725 An Act to Strengthen the Unemployment Insurance Laws and Reduce Unemployment Fraud As we are all too intimately aware, Maine has a jobs deficit. Approximately 48,700 Mainers are unemployed.1 In 2011, we lost approximately 7,200 jobs.2 Our top priority […] MECEP Posted January 27, 2012 Tags Employment, Jobs
Taxes and Budget Please Support a Responsible Solution! More cost-effective health care delivery and fairer tax structure will shrink budget shortfall The Governor’s proposal would: Eliminate health coverage for more than 56,000 low-income people and cut medically necessary services for thousands of others remaining on the MaineCare program. […] MECEP Posted January 25, 2012 Tags Health Care, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Testimony at Hearing on LD 1680 and LD 1693: Circuit Breaker Property Tax Relief The Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund (“Circuit Breaker”) Program provides targeted property tax relief to qualified homeowners and renters. In program year 2010, Maine Revenue […] MECEP Posted January 18, 2012 Tags Property Tax, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Testimony on LR 2678 LePage Administration's Proposed Department of Health & Human Services Budget Cuts I am humbled by those who have testified before me. Their stories and fears are a heart-wrenching reminder of the importance of public policy in people’s lives. […] MECEP Posted December 16, 2011 Tags Budget
Maine’s Economy Statement on Impact of Buying Locally in Cumberland County For more than 17 years, MECEP has worked to advance public policies that help Maine people prosper in a strong, fair and sustainable economy. This includes providing […] MECEP Posted December 6, 2011 Tags Economy, Local
Maine’s Economy Fact Sheet: Buying Locally Pays Big Dividends for Maine's Economy A summary of the findings of a recent MECEP study that found when consumers buy from locally owned businesses Maine’s economy benefits much more than when they […] MECEP Posted December 5, 2011 Tags Economy, Local
Maine’s Economy Statement on the Summer Food Service Program at Maine Council of Churches Press Conference I’m Garrett Martin, Executive Director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. I appreciate the opportunity to join the Maine Council of Churches and our other partner […] MECEP Posted November 17, 2011 Tags Economy, Food Insecurity, Local
Taxes and Budget MECEP Letter to the Streamline and Prioritize Core Government Services Task Force We appreciate the Task Force’s efforts, pursuant to Part KKK of PL 2011, chapter 380, to prioritize services, consolidate functions, and eliminate duplication and inefficiencies. In doing […] MECEP Posted November 7, 2011 Tags Budget