Jobs and Income

New Payday-Lending Rule Could be Helpful in Maine

The new rules require payday lenders to start verifying a borrower’s ability to repay a loan before rolling it over into a new loan. Maine already has […]

Public News Service

Posted October 11, 2017

Tags Consumer Protection, Federal

Maine’s Economy

CFPB takes first step with new federal payday lending rule, but Maine must be on guard

Just yesterday, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a new rule that will reduce the harm to Maine families of short-term payday lending. But the […]

Jody Harris

Posted October 6, 2017

Tags Consumer Protection

Health Care

Medicaid expansion – on Maine’s November ballot – divides business groups

The Maine Center for Economic Policy, a left-leaning economic think tank, has estimated that 3,000 new jobs would be created in Maine if Medicaid were expanded. […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted October 3, 2017

Tags Health Care, Medicaid

Jobs and Income

SNAP turns 40: Providing sustenance for working poor families

Friday, September 29 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1977 Food Stamp Act, the landmark law that established the nation’s modern anti-hunger program—as it’s now known, the […]

Jody Harris

Posted September 29, 2017

Tags Food Insecurity, SNAP

Education

New program aims to educate about race

The Maine Center for Economic Policy found in 2014 that blacks and African Americans in Maine have some of the highest rates of poverty in the country. […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted September 29, 2017

Tags Education, Inequality, Racial Equity

Health Care, Jobs and Income

Decline in health tied to decline in workforce

People of prime working age have dropped out of the workforce at levels not previously seen by labor economists, especially outside greater Portland. According to a forthcoming study by […]

Sun Journal

Posted September 4, 2017

Tags Health Care, Jobs

Education

Maine lawmakers need to protect student loan borrowers

A new report from the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) highlights another way that the very companies that are supposed to be helping Maine student loan […]

Jody Harris

Posted June 23, 2017

Tags Consumer Protection, Higher Education, Student Debt

Jobs and Income

Testimony in Opposition to: LD 774, 775, 778, 831, 971, 991, 1005

The potential benefits of the recent minimum wage increase could be jeopardized for workers, families, children, and seniors if the proposals to eliminate indexing or reduce minimum […]

Jody Harris

Posted April 5, 2017

Tags Minimum Wage

Taxes and Budget

Testimony in Opposition to Governor's Proposed Budget, Parts D, E, and F

These proposed tax changes would stand in the way of building thriving communities and a strong Maine economy. There is a direct correlation between state resources and […]

Jody Harris

Posted February 10, 2017

Tags Budget

Maine’s Economy

MECEP Matters, January 2017

For a PDF of this edition of MECEP Matters, click here. To sign up to receive MECEP Matters, click here.

Posted January 31, 2017

Tags Economy

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New Payday-Lending Rule Could be Helpful in Maine

CFPB takes first step with new federal payday lending rule, but Maine must be on guard

Medicaid expansion – on Maine’s November ballot – divides business groups

SNAP turns 40: Providing sustenance for working poor families

New program aims to educate about race

Decline in health tied to decline in workforce

Maine lawmakers need to protect student loan borrowers

Testimony in Opposition to: LD 774, 775, 778, 831, 971, 991, 1005

Testimony in Opposition to Governor's Proposed Budget, Parts D, E, and F

MECEP Matters, January 2017