Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Why is Maine’s revenue picture better than expected? Past recessions wreaked havoc on Maine’s state budget and the COVID recession was expected to do the same. While Maine’s current revenue forecast, finalized in early December […] Sarah Austin Posted March 5, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Recession, Revenue, Taxes
Health Care One in ten Black Mainers has tested positive for COVID. Our vaccine plan may widen racial disparities. In late February, Maine passed another grim COVID-19 milestone, with one in ten Black Mainers having tested positive for the virus. That’s more than three times the […] James Myall Posted March 4, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Inequality, Racial Equity
Health Care Postpartum coverage bill would extend critical health care for new moms in Maine New mothers have unique health care needs that must be met in order for new families to get the best start together. But for many new moms with low incomes, […] James Myall Posted February 26, 2021 Tags Children, Health Care, Medicaid
Health Care Expanding health care for children will put Maine kids on upward trajectory for life Access to affordable health care makes a huge difference to a child’s future. Investing in children’s health care will help ensure we have a healthy population and […] James Myall Posted February 24, 2021 Tags Children, Health Care
Taxes and Budget After more than a decade of cuts, it’s time to invest in Maine’s communities Strong communities are the backbone of a good quality of life. Local services like parks, libraries, fire departments, safe roads, and clean water are integral to creating high-quality places where Maine families […] Sarah Austin Posted February 19, 2021 Tags Budget, Revenue, Taxes
Maine’s Economy With pandemic hardship as high as ever, Congress must move quickly on COVID relief The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis is bigger than any seen in our lifetimes, leaving tens of thousands of Mainers struggling to work, feed their families, and keep a roof over their […] James Myall Posted February 17, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Economy, Federal, Food Insecurity, Housing, Unemployment
Health Care Health data bill would fill in the holes in Maine’s understanding of racial health disparities All Maine families — Black, brown, and white alike — should be able to live healthy lives and have access to the health care they need, when […] James Myall Posted February 16, 2021 Tags Health Care, Racial Equity
Maine’s Economy MECEP Map: Economic Insights for Maine’s Legislative Districts 2021 2021 State of the Districts Dive into the data to discover the economic trends in Maine’s legislative districts, and how they compare with other regions in Maine. […] James Myall Posted February 12, 2021 Tags Economy, Local
Jobs and Income Pandemic workplace risks reveal the need for more worker safety protections With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continuing to claim more than 1,500 lives in the United States every day, the need for safe workplaces is clearer than ever […] James Myall Posted February 11, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Job Quality, Jobs
Taxes and Budget Maine doesn’t need a new special interest sales tax loophole The Maine Legislature is considering a bill, LD 140, that would allow businesses that sell prepared food and beverages to keep one penny of the eight–cent sales tax on prepared foods. The bill would create […] Sarah Austin Posted February 9, 2021 Tags Budget, Tax Breaks, Taxes