Public Hearing THURSDAY May 13^th 9:00 AM

LD 1677 An Act To Support Frontline Workers by Adding a Temporary Tax Bracket Affecting High Earners 

AGAINST

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Department of Labor to create the Frontline Worker Support Program to provide grants to frontline workers, who are those workers who conduct an operation, service or function that is essential to ensuring the continuity of critical functions, including, without limitation, health care workers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers and persons who work in the educational sector, such as teachers, support staff or child care workers.  The grants, disbursed by the Treasurer of State based on the eligibility criteria developed by the Department of Labor, are

funded by a temporary, 2-year surcharge of 3% on annual Maine adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 for single filers, $350,000 for heads of households and $500,000 for joint filers.

SPONSOR:

FECTEAU of Biddeford
Ryan.Fecteau@legislature.maine.gov 287-1430

Public Hearing Wednesday, May 12, 2021 9:30 AM

LD 1283 - An Act To Amend the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law To Encourage Public Access

AGAINST

LD 1283 affects the tree growth tax (TGT) law.  This law was passed in 1971 to make property taxes on forest land more affordable so people would be more inclined not to change the use from forest to something else.  The forest community believes it has worked well. On or after April 1, 2022, LD 1283 does not allow anyone to enroll their property in TGT if they limit or post the land to the public.  This is really a dumb idea, as it in part defeats the purpose of the law which is to keep property taxes affordable.  My 40 years or so of experience with forest landowners is that most post their land due to inappropriate use such as illegal dumping, vehicle damage to roads and streams, poaching, unauthorized campsites with fire pits, and other reasons.  The state of Maine has no business denying the landowner judgement over what is best for him/her and their property.  Most land owners that post their property will give permission to use it, depending on what the individual is going to do.  Of course that individual needs to be a credible person of good character.  

Thank you Greg Foster!

SUMMARY:

This bill excludes from benefits under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law a parcel of land to which public access for recreational use is limited or prohibited.

SPONSOR:

Representative MARTIN of Eagle Lake 834-7568 or 444-5556
John.Martin@legislature.maine.gov

Public Hearings TUESDAY May 4^th 11:00 AM

FOR: LD 1071 – An Act to Reduce Property Taxes for Maine Residents

This bill increases the total exemption under the Maine resident homestead program to $50,000 for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2021. This bill also increases state reimbursement to municipalities for homestead property tax exemptions from 70% to 100% for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2021.

Sponsor: 

Republican Rep. Matthew Pouliot, Kennebec

FOR: LD 708 – An Act to Increase the Homestead Exemption to $50,000 

This bill would increase homestead exemption from 25K to $50K for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2021.

Sponsors:

Republicans Representative FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor

Cosponsored by Representatives:

CARMICHAEL of Greenbush, GIFFORD of Lincoln, GRIGNON of Athens, MASON of Lisbon, O'CONNOR of Berwick, PARRY of Arundel, THORNE of Carmel, TUELL of East Machias

Public Hearing THURSDAY May 6^th 9:00 AM

FOR:  LD 1243 – An Act To Exempt from Taxation Out-of-state Pensions

This bill exempts from Maine income tax the portion of retirement benefits attributable to a taxpayer's contribution to an employee retirement plan or an individual retirement account the taxpayer contributed to while the resident of another jurisdiction if those benefits are included in federal adjusted gross income.

THE PROBLEM;

Prior to 1996, some states maintained statutes allowing for "source taxes." These statutes required people who earned pension income in a state to continue paying taxes to that state even if they no longer lived there. For example, a 1989 report in the Schenectady Gazette describes the plight of a retired woman who earned a pension from California. Though the woman had moved to Nevada more than nine years earlier, she still received a tax bill from the state of California for her pension income. Seniors across the United States faced similar scenarios, thanks to various incarnations of this source tax law.

Sponsor:

Rep. Heidi Sampson, Alfred

Public Hearing THURSDAY May 6^th 11:00 AM

AGAINST:  LD 1136 – An Act to Promote Fairness in Income Tax Rates by Making Them More Progressive

This bill changes the individual income tax brackets to provide 4 brackets rather than 3. The bill adds a new bracket of 10.15% on taxable income exceeding $100,000 for single individuals and married persons filing separately, $150,000 for heads of households and$200,000 for individuals filing married joint returns and surviving spouses.

Sponsors:

Republicans Representative THOM HARNETT of Gardiner

Thom.Harnett@legislature.maine.gov

(207) 582-0905

(207) 522-1254

Cosponsored by:

Senator MIRAMANT of Knox

David.Miramant@legislature.maine.gov

(207) 319-9514

and Representatives:

COLLINGS of Portland

Benjamin.Collings@legislature.maine.gov

(207) 405-786

MORALES of South Portland 

Victoria.Morales@legislature.maine.gov

(207) 287-1430

PEBWORTH of Blue Hill

EVANGELOS of Friendship

AGAINST: LD 1443 – An Act Regarding Higher Income Tax

This bill establishes 5 new tax brackets for income exceeding $100,000 for persons filing as single individuals or married individuals filing separately, $150,000 for  individuals filing as head of household and $200,000 for individuals filing married joint returns or surviving spouses.

Sponsor:

Representative BENJAMIN COLLINGS of Portland 

AGAINST: LD 1500 – An Act to Bring Equity to Maine’s Tax Law by Adjusting Certain Individual Income Tax Brackets

This bill changes the individual income tax brackets to provide 4 brackets rather than  3. The bill adds a new bracket of 12.4% on taxable income exceeding $200,000 for single individuals and married persons filing separately, $300,000 for heads of households and$400,000 for individuals filing married joint returns and surviving spouses.

Sponsor:

Representative GRAYSON LOOKNER of Portland

Grayson.Lookner@legislature.maine.gov

(207) 200-3860

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