Taxes and Budget Mills touts one-time payment in address, glosses over housing, overdose, climate crises Some progressive groups criticized the proposal for not prioritizing those Mainers most in need at a time when Maine has seen a dramatic increase in wealth among the state’s […] Beacon Posted February 11, 2022 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Sen. King joins Democratic legislators in call for tax fairness at state and federal level Fecteau and Terry spoke about the tax landscape in Maine and the importance of creating a fairer system in the state. During the panel discussion, Sarah Austin, […] Beacon Posted February 2, 2022 Tags Budget, Federal, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Jobs and Income Lawmaker seeks to protect workers who take paid time off from retaliation James Myall, a policy analyst with the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), told Beacon in a recent interview that workers’ fear of using leave was well-documented at the […] Beacon Posted January 31, 2022 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Sick Days
Taxes and Budget Report: Only a third of PPP money went to the workers it was intended for Keeping in line with previously released data that demonstrated that PPP loans overwhelmingly went to big businesses, the new study found that the loans were inefficient in their […] Beacon Posted January 26, 2022 Tags Budget, Federal, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Income of wealthiest in Maine nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020, report shows Sarah Austin, director of policy and research at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said because there weren’t any big changes to the tax code between those […] Beacon Posted December 2, 2021 Tags Incomes, Inequality, Tax Fairness
Taxes and Budget Golden votes no as House passes landmark social spending bill After months of debate, the U.S. House early Friday passed President Joe Biden’s landmark social spending bill, which will invest $1.85 trillion in child care, health care, […] Beacon Posted November 19, 2021 Tags Budget, Children, Coronavirus, Federal, Health Care
Maine’s Economy Opinion: Rising prices is exactly why we must pass Build Back Better While the rising cost of living may appear worrying at first, it is important to keep the wider economic context for families in mind. Existing federal relief […] Beacon Posted November 17, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economy, Federal
Jobs and Income After pandemic exposed Maine’s frayed safety net, report details best policy solutions The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that policymakers must take steps to improve working conditions and ensure greater racial and economic equity, according to a new report […] Beacon Posted November 9, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Unemployment
Jobs and Income Cutting off unemployment benefits did little to return Mainers to work Maine’s negative job growth reflects what’s going on across the nation, said James Myall, a policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy. “As expected, coercing […] Beacon Posted October 26, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Employment, Job Quality, Jobs, Unemployment
Taxes and Budget Analysis: Opportunities abound as federal COVID relief funds flow into Maine counties According to an analysis by MECEP released earlier this month, Maine’s counties in total will receive $261 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Counties have […] Beacon Posted October 22, 2021 Tags Budget, Federal, Local