Education One easy way for Maine to increase grants for college students with low incomes this year Thanks to federal forbearance on student loan payments during the pandemic, Maine has an opportunity to make college more affordable this year for students with low incomes by […] Jody Harris Posted March 17, 2021 Tags Education, Federal, Higher Education, Student Debt
Maine’s Economy Maine must continue its clampdown on predatory lenders Lawmakers in Augusta have done good work in recent years to begin curbing predatory payday lenders from saddling Mainers with crushing, unfair debt. Now, they have an […] Jody Harris Posted March 16, 2021 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security
Taxes and Budget Taxing the unearned income of the top 1 percent would help un-rig Maine’s tax code, boost resources for communities Most Mainers get the bulk of their income from wages. But those at the top of our economy often earn money in another way: They often have unearned income, from things like capital gains and […] Sarah Austin Posted March 16, 2021 Tags Budget, Inequality, Revenue, Tax Fairness, Taxes
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