Mills’ budget proposal prioritizes health, education while leaving LePage’s tax cuts for the wealthy

Some policy analysts who believe the proposal is moderate in scope hope lawmakers will press the new governor to take a bolder stance as the budget debate shifts to the legislature.

“This budget locks in the LePage-era tax cuts, which resulted in underfunded schools, cuts to local and state services, and an upside-down tax code where the top one percent pays less per dollar in state and local taxes than any other group,” said Mario Moretto of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, which released an aspirational “Prosperity Budget” pointing out that the state is missing out on $864 million in revenue this budget cycle because of LePage’s tax cuts tipped towards the wealthiest households.

He continued, “We can make many more meaningful investments in families, communities, and our economy this year if we reverse Gov. LePage’s tax cuts for the wealthiest.”

Click here to read the full story, published February 8, 2019, in the Beacon.