Jobs and Income Labor advocates call Gov. Mills’ veto of her own farmworker wage bill ‘an embarrassment’ Arthur Phillips, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy who served on the minimum wage committee, said Mills “has reaffirmed farmworkers’ second-class status in Maine’s […] Maine Morning Star Posted April 23, 2024 Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Taxes and Budget Reversing cuts to highways, pensioners and dairy farmers, new budget proposal heads to floor James Myall, an analyst for the progressive organization Maine Center for Economic Policy, defended Sachs’ proposal. In a blog post, he argued the extra funding this year would help […] Maine Morning Star Posted April 15, 2024 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Public feedback on Gov. Mills’ budget changes: helpful, too discretionary, not enough James Myall, an analyst for the left-leaning policy organization Maine Center for Economic Policy, said Monday the homeless provision allows needed flexibility for municipalities but adds limits […] Maine Morning Star Posted April 1, 2024 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget ‘The rent is too damn high’: Housing advocates rally for rent relief, homeless shelter funding “Rent relief for families with low income can be an effective, efficient way to stem the rising tides of evictions and homelessness,” said Josie Phillips, state priorities […] Maine Morning Star Posted March 13, 2024 Tags Budget, Housing
Taxes and Budget Updated revenue predictions once again puts Gov. Mills’ proposed savings in spotlight Josie Phillips, state priorities partnership fellow for the left-leaning policy organization Maine Center for Economic Policy, said she hopes the increase in one-time funds for this biennium […] Maine Morning Star Posted March 11, 2024 Tags Budget
Jobs and Income State government workers union files complaint against Mills administration over bargaining dispute Since the market pay study was not part of the January review, MSEA said there is no evidence for the claim that the state has addressed the pay […] Maine Morning Star Posted February 29, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Labor report highlights scant enforcement of wage and hour laws Arthur Phillips, an analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, agreed that the move to strategic enforcement is important, especially given that current low inspection rates […] Maine Morning Star Posted February 28, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs
Taxes and Budget Rent relief, election support, teacher raises dominate week one of budget hearings Arthur Phillips, economic policy analyst for Maine Center for Economic Policy said educators are falling behind entry-level workers in the private sector but also peer educators in […] Maine Morning Star Posted February 24, 2024 Tags Budget, Education, Housing
Taxes and Budget Conservatives, progressives alike object to $107M savings in Mills’ budget proposal Both the left-leaning policy organization Maine Center for Economic Policy and the conservative Maine Policy Institute criticized Mills’ decision to store away $107 million in the special reserve fund […] Maine Morning Star Posted February 21, 2024 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Facing deep fiscal challenges, child care providers urge lawmakers to adjust reimbursement rules In all, current reimbursement rules cost child care providers that accept subsidies about $5 million a year, said Arthur Phillips of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. […] Maine Morning Star Posted February 20, 2024 Tags Budget, Child Care