Republican members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee looked on, with some of them even clapping, as Gov. Janet Mills signed a spending package Tuesday that includes a one-percent payroll tax on Maine workers.
The payroll tax, which will be used to fund a paid leave program, is the largest tax increase on Maine workers in decades.
According to the fiscal note for the paid leave component, the new payroll tax is expected to collect more than $350 million from Maine workers.
Gov. Mills signed the $800 million spending package and tax increase, as Republican members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee looked on.
Committee members Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford), Rep. Sawin Millett (R-Waterford), Rep. Mark Blier (R-Buxton), and Rep. Nathan Carlow (R-Buxton) clapped and smiled as Mills signed the tax increase into law.
Rep. Jack Ducharme (R-Madison) did not clap or smile.
Every House Republican, including Blier and Carlow, voted against the bill when it came to the House floor — with the exception of Millett.
On the Senate side, Bennett and Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.
This is not the first time Millett has voted in favor of a new tax or a tax increase.
In fact, Millett voted in favor of the first ever income tax in Maine, in 1969, as a member of the State Legislature.
In a picture distributed by the Mills Administration, every Republican except for Bennett and Millett was cropped out.
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="20831 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=20831">13 Comments
The Maine GOP are weak and spineless phonies for the most part.
Caving to Democrats at every turn.
The useless UNIPARTY strikes another blow against those who work whilst they lie, cheat and steal their way to wealth.
If you’ve been in the legislature since 1969 you are part of the problem
I’m so glad they all love spending OUR MONEY!
Vote these scum outta office asap
There are no reDUMBlicans in Maine legislature just demoKKKrats in drunken sailor’s clothing. And spending like it.
What a joke!! You might as well call it what it is Socialism. There is only one party and they all kowtow to the government god. The Maine media is nothing but bootlickers to these evil people. Maine people I fear will never wake up, they like the free handouts too much. As Maine goes so goes the nation. Just look where we are heading and the generations coming up are endorsing it.
Maine is going to suffer a loss of businesses.
A former Republican State Representative had a brother who was also a State Representative. One time he asked him, “you’re conservative, why are you a Democrat”? “So I can caucus with them and find out what they’re up to”, came the reply. He added, “the Democrats never compromise with the Republicans; the Republicans always cave to the Democrats.” Things never change.
A photo of a political hackfest with Comrade Mills and Comrade RTR leading the march toward socialism.
Sen. Bennett is in hiding….ashamed to talk about his recent votes supporting Mills’ agenda.
Old Indian saying..”right wing, left wing, same bird”!
I can see it would be a waste of my time and psychic energy to write to Sen. Bennett and Sen. Stewart about their lack of support for keeping the Property Tax Stabilization Program for senior citizens. They questioned it before it even goes into effect.
Another pre-election head fake that gets proven a ruse.
What is wrong with these republicans?? Remember, elections have consequences. Be careful who you vote for to protect our state. It looks like many of the republicans in Maine are happy to always loose. They make backroom deals with the democrats thinking it will help them. Wake Up! You can never make deals with the democrats! They will lie to your face and then stab you in the back.