Maine lawmakers have sent Gov. Paul LePage a comprehensive tax measure that conforms the state tax code to some, but not all, of the federal tax changes passed late last year, and approved more than $21 million in reforms to the state's child welfare system.The tax bill lowers both corporate and personal income tax rates and makes scores of changes to the state tax code.
“No legislation is perfect," said Rep. Ryan Tipping, an Orono Democrat who co-chairs the Taxation Committee. "But this bill is a good faith effort at building a middle ground between two disparate positions. Nobody who understands the bill entirely likes everything in it.”
The package includes the expansion of a property tax credit and a new family and medical leave credit. The measure keeps the standard deduction where the federal law abolishes it.
“It’s a compromise that helps the average Mainer," Tipping says. "It keeps the standard deduction for filers that the federal government did away with. And creates a new child dependent credit that makes sure parents and caretakers of dependents get more help in making ends meet.”
The bill does not abolish the estate tax, which Democrats fear will prompt a veto from Gov. LePage.
Lawmakers also approved reforms to the state child welfare system, giving final approval to a series of proposals, the biggest of which will provide $21 million in funds to the system.
They rejected a proposal to make it a crime for mandatory reporters, such as teachers, to fail to report suspected abuse.
Lawmakers also considered whether to approve Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap's request for additional money to pay for implementing ranked-choice voting in the fall, ultimately agreeing to provide the funds.
Dunlap told members of the Appropriations Committee that costs are higher than expected and can't be covered with existing appropriations.
“We have drawn down a significant part of our first quarter allotment, taking care of the things that were supposed to have been done in the fourth quarter that we put off in order to conduct the ranked-choice election,” Dunlap said.
The committee approved the request for an additional $334,000 to fun the fall elections, but some opposed it, saying that Dunlap should have known about the additional costs earlier and should not have made the request as lawmakers were finishing up their work in hopes of going home.
“Mr. Secretary…it’s just surprising to me that you are appearing before this committee saying you recently discovered you need this extra money to conduct this election,” said Augusta Republican Sen. Roger Katz.
The Legislature approved the ranked-choice funding bill by a vote of 91-15 in the House, and under the gavel in the Senate.
