Maine expects $265 million budget surplus over 2 years

MECEP Policy Director Sarah Austin called for additional investments in housing and wages for teachers, child care providers and direct care workers. “Maine has the resources to […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted November 28, 2023

Tags Budget, Child Care, Housing, Revenue

Taxes and Budget

Rollout of pandemic food benefit cards to schoolchildren confuses many Mainers

But James Myall, a policy analyst for the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy, said while it’s true that in some cases people are getting the money […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted October 4, 2023

Tags Budget, Children

Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy

Our View: The child poverty rate doubled because we let it

“Research has shown that the child tax credit, every dollar we spend on it, generates an estimated $8 in benefits to society in the form of better […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted September 15, 2023

Tags Children, Poverty

Jobs and Income

Commentary: With Maine governor’s veto, farmworkers were again denied their basic economic rights

This session’s bill represented a small step toward justice for those who do the back-breaking work that fuels our agricultural sector and feeds our state. These workers […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted August 15, 2023

Tags Economic Security, Fair Scheduling, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages

Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget

A new program gives low-income Maine mothers monthly cash. Will it help lift them out of poverty?

Nationally, basic and guaranteed income programs have been found to have many benefits related to financial and economic security, though there are also challenges, particularly around funding, said […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted August 1, 2023

Tags Incomes

Jobs and Income

Legislature sustains Mills’ veto of farmworker minimum wage bill

Several of the bill’s supporters, including the Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, highlighted that this was Mills’ second veto of legislation […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted July 25, 2023

Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity

Health Care, Taxes and Budget

Bill to extend MaineCare coverage to noncitizens wins support in Maine House

Groups supporting the proposal include Maine Equal Justice, Maine Center for Economic Policy, Presente! Maine, Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the ACLU of Maine, American Cancer Society […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted June 26, 2023

Tags Health Care, Immigration, Medicaid

Taxes and Budget

Bills passed by Maine lawmakers are piling up on ‘the table’ – and many will die there

“It can be very sobering, and it can risk momentum for causes that you spend a lot of time building,” said Leuthy, who is now a lobbyist […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted June 19, 2023

Tags Budget, Child Care, Child Tax Credit, Direct Care Work, Housing, Paid Family and Medical Leave

Taxes and Budget

Commentary: Business incentive tax giveaway not the program Maine needs

It’s no secret that Maine is facing a critical workforce shortage. A 2022 survey of Maine businesses conducted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted June 18, 2023

Tags Budget, Revenue, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes

Health Care, Jobs and Income

Maine nurses split over whether state mandate of staff ratios would help

“Part of that is that health care jobs were extremely stressful – and dangerous – over the past two years, which probably led people to find other […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted June 18, 2023

Tags Health Care, Job Quality, Jobs

Portland Press Herald

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Maine expects $265 million budget surplus over 2 years

Rollout of pandemic food benefit cards to schoolchildren confuses many Mainers

Our View: The child poverty rate doubled because we let it

Commentary: With Maine governor’s veto, farmworkers were again denied their basic economic rights

A new program gives low-income Maine mothers monthly cash. Will it help lift them out of poverty?

Legislature sustains Mills’ veto of farmworker minimum wage bill

Bill to extend MaineCare coverage to noncitizens wins support in Maine House

Bills passed by Maine lawmakers are piling up on ‘the table’ – and many will die there

Commentary: Business incentive tax giveaway not the program Maine needs

Maine nurses split over whether state mandate of staff ratios would help