Taxes and Budget MECEP response to supplemental budget votes from the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs AUGUSTA, Maine — Garrett Martin, executive director at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, released the following statement about the bipartisan budget agreement passed by the Appropriations […] Posted June 28, 2021 Tags Appropriations Committee, Budget, Education, EITC, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Education Maine lawmakers moving to provide free meals for students James Myall, an analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, told the committee food insecurity can affect a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and […] The Center Square Posted June 9, 2021 Tags Children, Economic Security, Education, Food Insecurity
Education Protections for private student loan borrowers protect seniors and people with disabilities In 2019, Maine led the nation by passing the Student Loan Bill of Rights (SLBOR) to address the predatory loan servicing practices that are exacerbating Maine’s student […] MECEP Posted May 18, 2021 Tags Consumer Protection, Education, Higher Education, Student Debt
Education COVID compounds Maine’s education debt crisis. The time to act is now. MECEP economic policy analyst James Myall contributed to this blog post. There was a student loan crisis before the pandemic, now it is even worse. Despite gains in recent […] Jody Harris Posted April 9, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Education, Higher Education, Student Debt
Maine’s Economy Transformative “American Rescue Plan” will deliver $6 billion to Maine’s economy The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act recently approved by Congress will deliver roughly $6 billion to Maine’s economy, according to recent MECEP analysis. The top initiatives that will support Maine’s economic […] James Myall Posted April 2, 2021 Tags Children, Coronavirus, Economic Security, Economy, Education, EITC, Federal, Housing, Infrastructure, K-12 Education, SNAP, Taxes, Unemployment
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
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy REPORT: State of Working Maine 2020 Download the PDF version Download Introduction: Race Equity Means A Stronger, Fairer Economy for All Mainers Race equity means: A stronger, fairer economy Better job opportunities Realizing […] James Myall Posted November 9, 2020 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Education, Higher Education, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Racial Equity, Wages
Jobs and Income For people of color and less-educated workers, Maine unemployment figures don't tell the whole story The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released estimates showing that Maine’s unemployment rate was a seasonally-adjusted 2.9 percent in September, marking three consecutive months of the […] James Myall Posted November 1, 2019 Tags Education, Employment, Inequality, Racial Equity
Education This year, Maine teachers will spend $5.2 million of their own money on school supplies This year, Maine’s public school teachers will spend $5.2 million — an average of $356 per teacher — to keep their classrooms well stocked with school supplies.[1] […] James Myall Posted August 28, 2019 Tags Education, Incomes, Job Quality
Jobs and Income Report: Maine teachers spend hundreds of dollars of own money on classroom supplies Individuals teachers in Maine spend an average of $356 out of their own pockets on school supplies. While this amount is about a hundred dollars less than […] Beacon Posted August 27, 2019 Tags Education, Incomes, Job Quality