Maine lawmakers begin reviewing Janet Mills’ supplemental budge
Members of the Maine Legislature began debating Governor Janet Mills’ supplemental budget proposal this week, which includes sending $500 refund payments to many taxpayers.
Gov. Mills released her supplemental budget proposal earlier this month. It includes returning half of a projected $822 million surplus back to residents along with millions in new spending for initiatives in health care and transportation.
Supplemental budget highlights:
- $500 refund checks to many taxpayers ($411 million)
- $100 million for road and bridge repairs
- $50 million to support hospitals / long-term care facilities
- $30 million to increase MaineCare rates
- $27 million for free school lunches
- $20 million for free community college
- $12 million to increase pay for child care workers
- $9.2 million to address PFAS contamination
- $8 million to improve the state’s child welfare system
LD 607 Overtime Protection Bill Turned into RESOLVE
MEMA has been working to oppose LD 607 and with your help Legislators and the Governor’s Office heard our concerns. Members of the Committee on Labor & Housing unanimously adopted a proposed amendment from LD 607 sponsor, Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, that replaces the bill with a resolve.
LD 607
- Increased overtime payment salary threshold to 4500 times the Maine minimum wage. Maine’s Overtime Salary Threshold is already increasing annually. Annual increases in Maine’s minimum wage automatically increase the overtime threshold. So, Maine’s salary threshold increased from $36,450 in 2021, to $38,250 in 2022. The federal threshold is currently $35,568 – Maine is well above that, and will only continue to increase each year, even without the passage of LD 607. Maine is one of only 5 states that set overtime salary thresholds above the federal level (the other four are California, Colorado, New York and Washington). 45 states – including all other New England states – follow the federal salary threshold
LD 607 turning into a RESOLVE is a win for Businesses throughout Maine!
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