Jobs and Income Lawmakers must reject plan to give corporations free pass to put workers and customer at risk The Legislature today is considering a bill — LD 1403, “An Act to Protect Maine Businesses, Nonprofits, Educational Institutions and Municipalities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” — that […] James Myall Posted May 13, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Health Care, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Speaker Fecteau’s bill would use 3-cent tax on top 1 percent to fund hazard payments for frontline workers Maine’s pandemic experience has looked very different depending on where you stand in today’s economy. Essential frontline workers, many of whom were underpaid and experienced poor working […] Sarah Austin Posted May 12, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes, Wages
Taxes and Budget Bills to raise taxes on high incomes would fund long-term investments in people and communities The wealthiest households in Maine have benefitted greatly from recent state and federal tax cuts. The top 1 percent receive over $50,000 a year in tax cuts […] Sarah Austin Posted May 6, 2021 Tags Budget, Income Tax, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Jobs and Income Bill to update definition of “tipped worker” would prevent low-wage trap for service workers Public laws regarding tipped workers are designed to ensure that workers who receive a substantial portion of their income through tips are given the same worker protections […] James Myall Posted May 4, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Taxes and Budget EITC makes up to $7,459 available to low-income, working Mainers — but only if they file their taxes Maine workers with low incomes could receive thousands of dollars through the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. But that income boost is only available to those […] Mario Moretto Posted April 27, 2021 Tags EITC, Taxes
Health Care Dental care is health care. MaineCare should cover it. Our mouths are part of our bodies, so dental care is heath care. But a limited view of what counts as health care is leaving Mainers with […] James Myall Posted April 26, 2021 Tags Economic Security, Health Care, Inequality, Medicaid, Medicare, Poverty
Jobs and Income Anti-retaliation law would guarantee real rights for Maine workers State labor laws are critical to ensuring basic rights and dignity at the workplace. From the minimum wage to paid time off, accommodations for working mothers to laws mandating breaks […] James Myall Posted April 23, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Sick Days
Health Care Maine has a chance to correct injustice by expanding health care to New Mainers with low incomes All Mainers — no matter where they come from or what they look like — deserve access to affordable health care. MaineCare offers affordable health care coverage […] James Myall Posted April 16, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Health Care, Inequality, Racial Equity
Maine’s Economy To advance racial equity, Maine’s Permanent Commission needs permanent resources Note: James Myall is a member of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations All Mainers — regardless of race, ethnicity, […] James Myall Posted April 14, 2021 Tags Inequality, Racial Equity
Taxes and Budget Maine can clamp down on corporate tax dodging by targeting tax haven abuse When Maine communities thrive, so do the corporations that do business here. But when profitable corporations build their wealth by exploiting the tax code and hiding their […] Sarah Austin Posted April 14, 2021 Tags Economy, Revenue, Tax Fairness, Taxes