SNAP Works for America’s Children (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) delivers more nutrition assistance to low-income children than any other federal program, making it the nation’s largest child nutrition program.  In […]

MECEP's Comments to the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Proposed Payday Lending Rules

The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) filed this comment in response to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s proposed rule on payday, vehicle title, and certain high-cost […]

Responsible Lending; Responsible Borrowing

What do people do when they need money quickly? Their car needs costly repairs so they can get to work. A medical emergency has resulted in a […]

Poverty rates by demographic category, in 2013, for women and men, age 65 and older (bar chart)

Maine's TANF caseload, 2005-2016 (line graph)

Submit comments to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on proposed rule designed to ban abusive lending practices

The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) urges Maine individuals and organizations to submit comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) about its proposed rule designed to […]

Testimony in support of LD 1689, “An Act To Protect Children in the State from Possible Sexual, Physical and Emotional Abuse by Persons Who Have Been Convicted of Crimes”

MECEP urges you to protect Maine children, safeguard child care facilities, and continue to infuse our state economy with these federal funds.   PDF version April 13, […]

Testimony in Opposition to 1631, “An Act to Reduce the Liability of Maine Taxpayers by Aligning Maine's Welfare Programs with Federal Law”

LD 1631 reinforces federal standards that do not apply to the economic realities that Maine workers face. It makes it harder for individuals to get the skills […]

Governor LePage ignores the value of land conservation to Maine’s economy

Gov. LePage recently announced that he will belatedly sign off on multiple voter approved bond issues for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program, but he remains […]

Testimony before the National Commission on Hunger

“Maine is the most food insecure state in New England. Five percent of seniors and nearly one in four children are food insecure in Maine. In 2013, […]