A budget that benefits us all

The Maine State Legislature and Governor Janet Mills came together to pass a sweeping bipartisan budget that will provide historic investment in Maine and its people.

The $8.5 billion budget makes good on a nearly two-decades-old commitment to fund 55 percent of K-12 education costs – the original referendum was passed in 2004, and this will mark the first time that Maine hits this threshold. By increasing the state’s share of education funding, this will reduce municipal budgets and help lower property taxes all over Maine.

The budget will also provide one-time $300 hazard pay to most Maine workers and fund full revenue sharing between the state and our cities, towns and municipalities. Revenue sharing is a way for the state to help pay the costs for essential services for municipalities, since they are not allowed to levy local sales taxes. When revenue sharing was lowered to just 2 percent under Gov. LePage’s administration, the only way to pay for these services was through property taxes. Fully funding revenue sharing will provide much-needed relief to Mainers who have dealt with increasing property taxes.

Other major highlights from the budget include further investments in:

Education

• Increasing investment in higher education to prevent tuition hikes

• Increasing capital investments so schools can make critical health and safety upgrades

• Providing free school breakfast and lunch for every student

• Increasing investment in career and technical education

Property Tax Relief

• Expanding the Property Tax Fairness Credit to over 80,000 Mainers

• Expanding the homesteading tax credit

Supporting Working Mainers, Vulnerable Mainers, and Seniors:

• Expanding dental care for 217,000 Mainers

• Increasing support to senior living facilities

• Raising wages for direct care workers

• Increasing support to Mainers with intellectual disabilities

• Investing in community treatment options for substance use disorder

Natural Resources

• Protecting Maine’s natural beauty by investing in conservation efforts

We’re grateful to our lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for coming together to enact meaningful change – from the environment, to healthcare, to property tax relief, to education, this budget will benefit Mainers for years to come!

Time is Running Out to Protect Maine's Renters (RESOURCES)

The COVID-19 federal moratorium on evictions is set to expire on July 31. Many Mainers who risked eviction because they couldn’t pay their rent during the pandemic now face the devastating possibility of having to pay back any unpaid rent, long before the economy has recovered.

So what options are available to Maine renters? Unfortunately, the rules regarding evictions vary by county, and even by town. Rest assured, no Mainer will find their lease ended suddenly. Maine recently passed a law that requires landlords to include with eviction notices a straightforward letter about what the process entails, as well as options for legal assistance and rent relief.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Many states are taking bold steps to save renters from potential financial ruin, and Maine could join them.

California is preparing to launch the biggest rent forgiveness program in U.S. history. Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to use over $5 billion of the state’s federal COVID-19 stimulus funds to help the state’s most vulnerable renters, forgiving 100 percent of rent for tenants make less than 80 percent of the median income where they live and can provide proof of financial hardship from the pandemic.

Minnesota’s legislature passed a housing budget bill this week that eases the burden of the moratorium’s end. Renters will have 15 weeks after the July 31 deadline to secure rental assistance, to be paid directly to landlords. Meanwhile, tenants who have claimed, but not yet received, rental assistance from the state will be protected from eviction through June 1, 2022. The Oregon legislature, meanwhile, passed a bill giving renters until February 2022 to complete their back rent payments.

Until the Legislature returns to session to address this crisis, there are resources available to help people keep their homes:

The Maine State Housing Authority offers an Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The program provides tenants with rental and utility relief payments. If you meet the program’s income limits (use this calculator), experienced unemployment or financial challenges during the pandemic, and you are at risk of losing your housing, you may be eligible for rent and utility assistance.

Additionally, Pine Tree Legal Associates is urging anyone receiving eviction notices to call their offices. They have created a comprehensive FAQ that can help you make sense of the eviction process and your options. PTLA hosts weekly eviction information sessions on Tuesday mornings, where you can learn more about the eviction process, your rights and responsibilities as a renter, your options for resolving your case, your possible defenses, and what happens when your case is over.

Every Mainer deserves the security of a roof overhead. Our leaders must ensure that no one loses access to safe and affordable housing.

Mills' prescription drug affordability vetoes hurt Mainers

Yesterday, Gov. Janet Mills vetoed two bills that would make prescription drugs more affordable for Mainers across the board.

Join us in calling on our lawmakers to do their part, and override these vetoes so that Mainers can afford their medication.

No one should have to choose between life-saving prescription drugs and dinner. No one should have to ration insulin because they can’t afford their co-pay. But right now, that’s the reality for too many Mainers.

With LD 1117 and LD 675, the Maine legislature passed two good, bipartisan bills that would lower the outrageous cost of prescriptions and save Mainers’ lives. But Gov. Janet Mills caved to Big Pharma special interests and vetoed these bills.

Call your lawmakers to tell them to override these vetoes!

Maine cannot wait for the federal government to take decisive action, and shouldn’t have to suffer to protect Big Pharma’s big profits. Our state has an obligation to protect its people, not the bottom line of big drug companies.

If you are outraged, call your state senator and state representative and urge them to stand up for Mainers and override these vetoes.