In the early hours of Wednesday, June 28, the Legislature’s budget committee completed their work on the biennial budget. They spent the entire night on Tuesday negotiating and voting on every line item of the budget, each of which would help improve the lives of Mainers. Their hard work and long hours at the negotiating table has paid off as the budget has strong bipartisan support. My colleagues and I have worked diligently for months on legislation that will improve the lives of Mainers, and this budget will do just that.
The Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee voted to fund many important programs to improve the lives of Mainers. One of these programs is the Child Care Affordability Program, which comes from a bill from Pres. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. This program will help income-eligible working families afford child care, a necessity for all families. The budget would expand eligibility for this program from 85 to 125 percent of the state’s median income. Stipends for child care workers will also double from $200 to $400, helping qualified professionals afford to remain in the industry and providers retain staff. Child care is critical to all families in Maine, and this funding would ensure that all Mainers have access to this service.
The budget also establishes a statewide Housing First Program. We are facing a housing crisis in Maine that has been devastating for Mainers throughout the state. This program would facilitate necessary services to residents of “housing first” properties, provide permanent housing to persons who have been chronically homeless and connect them with the support services they need. The budget would also fund technical assistance for the development of housing first properties. With the growing number of those who are unhoused, funding for this program would be essential to helping them get back on their feet.
This bipartisan proposal also aims to help all retired Maine residents. It provides income tax breaks by increasing the annual income tax pension deduction from $30,000 to $35,000 this year. This means that the first $35,000 from a pension or similar retirement fund would be exempt from taxes. The amount increases to equal the maximum social security benefit in the following years. With the cost of living increasing and the effects of inflation, this tax break will ensure that elder Mainers are supported and taken care of, especially now when it is only getting harder to stay housed and put food on the table.
The AFA Committee also supports the creation of a Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, from Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, and Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston. After years of advocacy and research on how to implement such a program in Maine, paid family and medical leave would become a reality in our state. The budget provides one-time start-up funding to establish the program, which would make Maine the 13th state to establish a program. As a mother and a nurse midwife, I know firsthand the importance of having access to paid leave. As a small business owner, I’m grateful that there is future where I will not only be able to give my employees paid leave, but my loved ones will also be able to access this program.
However, as I’m writing this, there is still work left to do on the budget. The AFA Committee has done a great job of delivering a wholesome budget with bipartisan support, but the full Legislature has yet to vote on it. I hope that as you read this article, there is another article accompanying this one reporting that the budget has been enacted and sent to the Governor’s desk.
If you have questions, ideas or comments throughout the legislative session, please feel free to contact me at Stacy.Brenner@legislature.maine.gov or my legislative office at (207) 287-1515. You can also follow my Facebook page at Facebook.com/SenatorStacyBrenner for more frequent updates.
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