A new property tax stabilization program aimed at helping keep senior citizens in their homes went into effect on August…
Browsing: Taxes
Americans love their fast-food supersized. But supersizing the Internal Revenue Service? Probably not so popular. That’s evidently of little concern…
Starting this August, senior citizens in Maine will be able to freeze their property tax rate, preventing their bill from…
When the government tries to micromanage the everyday habits of millions of people, it doesn’t always go well, to put…
A joint ballot initiative effort between the Maine People’s Alliance and the Maine Women’s Lobby seeks to put the question…
Though the 130th Maine Legislature will return to Augusta for a veto day on May 9, there are a number…
Gov. Janet Mills unveiled her change package to the supplemental budget on March 18, which spends all but $20 million…
Elon Musk made a bold claim on Twitter on Tuesday. The Tesla founder said he would “pay more taxes than…
In late November, the Revenue Forecasting Committee (RFC), a branch of the Maine Legislature’s Office of Fiscal and Program Review,…
President Biden and his progressives allies are advancing a historic $4.5+ trillion spending plan that would vastly expand the government’s…
In the wake of a devastating pandemic and the resulting economic consequences, the United States has incurred a considerable amount…
The Maine Department of Education has certain requirements students must complete before they can earn a diploma. Four years of…
Clearly, the vast majority of people taking advantage of IRAs are everyday Americans who have a modest amount saved for their retirement. Congress was the one to create this avenue for saving, and now they are trying to backpedal.
One of the great things about America’s 50-state federal system is that people can vote with their feet in response…
The issue of how this subset of workers is taxed is not going away anytime soon, and so it would have been an impactful and incredibly significant ruling had the Court taken the case.
Gov. Janet Mills made the right choice in vetoing LD 920, sponsored by Rep. Christopher Kessler (D-South Portland), a bill…
Should Mainers have to pay more in taxes for buying a new piece of real estate? The Legislature says yes,…
This week, Maine lawmakers will vote on LD 221, Governor Janet Mills’ supplemental budget proposal. Also known as the governor’s…
Two bills to increase taxes on hardworking Mainers failed to pass at the end of the Maine Legislature’s hectic, marathon…
During the stress, added financial and mental burden brought on by the pandemic lockdowns, no individual should have to worry about additional taxation without representation.
On June 17, the Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn a special session without voting on the supplemental budget or…
A recent study by Dr. Calvin Lakhan of York University has found that under LD 1541, average monthly grocery costs for a family of four in Maine will increase by at least nearly $32, or as much as almost $60, depending on the kinds of costs incurred on producers.
Over the last few days, headlines have been dominated by a story that is being treated by many as a…
ProPublica’s deceptive and misguided campaign to convince the American electorate that billionaires don’t pay their fair share in taxes has only been further debunked by their own report.
A pair of bills recently voted out of the Committee on Taxation have the potential to raise taxes on Mainers. …
This week, my legislative colleagues on the Taxation Committee held a public hearing on my bill to reform Maine’s income…
The 100 percent increase in taxes on all tobacco products as proposed recently in the State legislature (LD 1423) doubles…
Maine’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee met on Thursday to hold a work session on LD 715, a concept draft…
The Maine Legislature will convene in person on Tuesday to approve the state’s next biennial budget, likely along party lines.…
President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a plan to hike taxes on individuals and corporations in order to help offset…
Maine lawmakers will convene in-person in Augusta this week for the first time since December 2, when legislators met at…
The last year has been challenging for most people in the country and our state. Whether you’re a Maine student,…
Maine Governor Janet Mills issued a press release Tuesday outlining a proposed path forward on the PPP issue that took…
Maine Governor Janet Mills released the details of her second proposed biennial budget last Friday following a closed-door media briefing and multiple press…
Though Maine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly taken a toll on the state’s finances, the future budget outlook…
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the service sector, made millions unemployed, and forced many of us who still do have…
Last week, the Cato Institute released the newest edition of its Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. The institute’s…
The BDN editorial board’s recent commentary on the state budget shortfall reminds us how different one person’s reality can be…
In the past 13 years, Maine voters have approved 38 of 39 bond issues on the ballot, totaling $1.43 billion…
Time is running out. Time is running out for the segment of our population that has no job, no income,…
Unnecessary spending in Governor Janet Mills’ biennial budget, approved by Maine lawmakers in 2019, is going to come back to…
Governor Janet Mills announced Thursday she is extending the state of Maine’s income tax filing deadline in step with action…
Maine Rep. Benjamin Collings of Portland held a press conference last week to boost support for LD 420, a bill…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee will hold a work session Thursday to debate the merits of LD 1254, “An Act…
The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. in…
Members of the Maine Legislature’s taxation committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday on LD 1929, “Resolve, Establishing the Commission…
Cartoon by Sam G. Pilgrims
Cartoon by Eric Allie
Governor Mills on Wednesday released her 10-year economic development plan for Maine, the first such undertaking in our state since…
A new law that changes how workers are classified in the “gig economy” will become effective in California next month.…
The Maine Heritage Policy Center on Monday released a new policy brief, “A Lost Cause: The Local-Option Sales Tax.” The…
Earlier this year the legislature passed LD 1324, a bill that creates an 11-person committee to study the feasibility of implementing…
In Maine and 12 other states, local governments have the ability to steal the equity you’ve built in your home…
In 2015, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) released Statement Number 77, advising local and state governments to disclose the…
The following letter was submitted by The Maine Heritage Policy Center to the Transportation and Climate Initiative regarding the draft…
With the fourth quarter underway, small-business owners in Maine and across the country seem to be holding onto an optimistic…
It’s no secret that Maine state government’s primary sources of revenue are generated through the individual income tax and sales…
Conservatives are often accused of favoring wealthy individuals and corporations over those in poverty. While some social welfare programs are…
When it comes down to it, Maine is an amazing place to live and raise a family. The large blue…
I’ve lived in Maine all my life, and I can’t remember a time when winter road conditions were worse than…
Last month, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a two-year state budget because it would have reversed the direction of…
Every two years, the Maine Office of Tax Policy releases a lengthy report on tax expenditures, the multitude of carveouts…
The effort to expand Maine’s estate tax, more aptly known as the “death tax,” was dealt a blow this week,…
It is a fallacy that individual clauses in the Constitution can be considered outside of the Constitution’s underlying thesis; our…
The First Session of the 129th Maine Legislature has been filled with proposals that would harm the financial well-being of…
What creates jobs? What goes into building a healthy and vibrant economy that creates real opportunity for as many people…
There has been plenty of legislation proposed this session that would increase taxes on Maine citizens, including new taxes on…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee on Thursday, April 11 held public hearings on two bills that would increase so-called sin…
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a lot of attention has been paid to…
The estate tax, often referred to as the “death tax,” is assessed by the government when property exchanges ownership after…
Clichéd as it may be, conservatives live in “a target rich environment” for drafting commentaries on the absurdities of the…
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may have come to his senses on tax policy, openly questioning earlier this week whether…
Governor Mills is preparing to unveil her budget proposal for the next biennium and we’re about to learn if she…
It’s hard not to draw parallels between what’s going on in Augusta and what we’re seeing in other areas of…
Among the many harebrained schemes that will be considered in the Maine Legislature this year is one to establish universal…
During the biennial budget battle in 2017 that led to Maine’s first government shutdown since 1991, lawmakers agreed to spend…
Over the next three years, the State is projected to collect more than $362 million than budgeted. Maine can–and should–return…
I was born in Maine in 1990, making me 28 years old. I was raised in Maine, went to high…
After the sounds of boisterous campaign rallies fade and the realities of the job sink in, Maine’s next governor will…
The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) recently released an analysis of interstate migration, attacking the idea that Maine’s exceptionally…
Question 1 promises a false sense of security that is destined to fail Maine’s elderly, disabled and those who care…
There are so many bad policies rolled into Question 1 on November’s ballot that it’s hard to know where to…
Question 1 on the ballot this November will read as follows: “Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to…
This commentary was originally published in the Bangor Daily News. The state economist recently issued a report on the likely impact that…
When Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap was accepting public comment on the ballot language for the upcoming “Universal Home…
Americans paid their 2017 federal and state income taxes this week. Filing taxes isn’t a pleasant or easy task, but…
As the legislative session enters its last weeks, Democrats are sitting on their hands, hoping voters won’t notice they have…
This article was originally published in The Ellsworth American. The Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn in a few short…
The federal tax cuts will provide about $1 billion in tax relief this year and next to Maine families and…
Too many Maine families are facing skyrocketing property taxes that strain household budgets. Our elderly on fixed incomes are particularly…
The tax reform bill working its way through Washington is good for Maine families and small business. Here’s why: First, both versions…
If you only listened to Democrat politicians and their allied special interests, you wouldn’t know that the tax relief proposals…
Leaders in Washington are seeking ways to stabilize the health care system and lower premiums next year. Deep divisions have…
For conservatives, the need to reduce taxation and curtail government spending are immutable truths. The national debt will surpass $20.5…
If you (and your wallet) are fed up with progressive tax-and-spend ballot initiatives, don’t expect them to end any time…
Over the past seven years, the state of Maine has made enormous strides in reducing the tax burden on its…
It is so refreshing to have a President in the White House who truly understands what it takes to create…
Today, the Cato Institute, a national public policy research organization, released the 13th biennial fiscal report card, rating governors based…
If you work hard enough and create sufficient value for your fellow man, you can succeed in the United States.…
A common argument put forth by proponents of tax-and-spend schemes is that pro-growth tax reforms are a guaranteed way for…