Politics & Co.
Maine is now two weeks into a $6.3 billion state budget that narrowly beat back the veto pen of Gov. Paul LePage. The budget and a wide-ranging energy bill were two of the most prominent pieces of legislation to make it across the finish line this session, but there are a range of others that will have an impact on businesses in the next 90 days or earlier. Here's a rundown of some of this session's top winners and losers:
Passed: the budget
The $6.3 billion budget raises the sales tax 0.5% and the state's meals and lodging tax by 1% for the next two years. That move allows the state to avoid outright suspension of revenue sharing with municipalities, which will be reduced from $200 million to $125 million. The budget also outlines incremental changes for the state's Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement program, which will allow 90% reimbursements for the next year and will fall to an 80% reimbursement in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The budget also sets up a task force to study how to shift that program from state reimbursements to the Business Equipment Tax Exemption program, which provides property tax exemptions on certain business equipment purchases at the local level.
Passed: energy bill
A wide-ranging energy bill that gives the Maine Public Utilities Commission new authority to expand natural gas infrastructure and creates a new program through the Efficiency Maine Trust to encourage Mainers to transition off of oil heat was enacted this session. LePage vetoed the bill for excluding an amendment that would allow an offshore wind project from the University of Maine to compete for ratepayer support, but won that battle in a separate piece of legislation.
Rejected: employer gun ban
The Maine Senate rejected a bill that would have given employers the right to prohibit employees from bringing guns to work. Current law allows those with a concealed weapon permit to bring a gun to work as long as it is stored out of sight in a locked vehicle. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce and businesses across the state strongly supported repealing the guns-at-work law that took effect in 2011.
Rejected: Medicaid expansion
A compromise bill to accept Medicaid expansion in Maine failed after hearings during which Republican lawmaker Heather Sirocki staged a brief filibuster by reading from the lyrics of the song “American Pie.”
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