Budget & Taxes

died · Maine · Senate Apr 29, 2026

LD 1294: An Act To Expand The Dependent Exemption Tax Credit

This bill (LD 1294) expands Maine's dependent exemption tax credit for tax years beginning January 1, 2025, or later. It doubles the credit to $600 for each dependent under age 6 (up from $300) while maintaining a $300 credit for dependents age 6 and older. The bill also updates income-based phase-out rules, reducing the credit for higher earners based on filing status (e.g., $100,000 threshold for single filers). It directly affects Maine resident taxpayers claiming dependents who qualify for the federal child tax credit or personal exemption. The changes apply to tax returns filed for 2025 and subsequent years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands dependent tax credit for lower/middle-income families, doubling relief for young dependents and adjusting phase-outs to maintain access for qualifying taxpayers.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Maine · Senate Apr 29, 2026

LD 1539: An Act To Create A State Employee Compensation Stabilization Fund

LD 1539 creates a State Employee Compensation Stabilization Fund within Maine's Department of Administrative and Financial Services. The fund, financed by 1% of excess General Fund revenues (previously allocated to highway funding), must be used to augment state employee salaries to achieve parity with comparable public and private sector roles, as determined by market pay studies. Unexpended funds at year-end carry forward to the next fiscal year without lapsing. The bill directly affects executive branch state employees, as defined in Maine law, by establishing a dedicated funding mechanism for salary adjustments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects 1% of excess General Fund (previously for highways) to fund state employee salary parity, strengthening fiscal management of personnel costs within budget allocation.92% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates fund to raise state employee salaries to market parity, directly increasing compensation for public sector workers.95% confidence ✗ TransportationOpposes TransportationRedirects 1% of previously highway-funded excess revenues to employee salaries, reducing transportation infrastructure funding95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Maine · Senate Apr 29, 2026

LD 1219: An Act To Increase State Funding For The Campuses Of The University Of Maine System And To Raise The Minimum Hourly Wage For Employees Of The System

LD 1219 requires the University of Maine System (UMS) campuses to receive state funding at 95% of their peer institution's per-student state funding starting July 1, 2026, and 100% starting July 1, 2027. Peer institutions are defined by UMS trustees and determined using the most recent available data. The bill also raises UMS hourly employee wages to 125% of Maine's state minimum wage, effective July 1, 2025. Funding allocations include $14.37 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $24.53 million for 2026-27 to support these changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly increases state funding for UMS campuses (95-100% of peer funding) and allocates $14.37M/$24.53M for fiscal years, raising employee wages via state budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases UMS funding to 95-100% of peer institutions and raises employee wages, directly advancing higher education funding and staff compensation.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRaises UMS hourly wages to 125% of Maine's state minimum wage, directly increasing compensation for workers under Labor & Employment policies.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Maine · Senate Apr 29, 2026

LD 34: An Act To Increase The Minimum Salary For Teachers

LD 34 sets new minimum salary levels for certified teachers and career and technical education teachers in Maine public schools, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It requires school districts to establish minimums of $45,000 for 2026-27, increasing to $52,500 by 2029-30, with automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments after 2030 based on the Chained Consumer Price Index. The state will provide supplemental funding to cover these increases for school districts that previously paid below the new minimums. This directly affects public school teachers and districts in Maine, with the first salary adjustments taking effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates state supplemental funding to cover increased teacher salaries, directly increasing public education spending within state budget allocations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates minimum teacher salary increases with state funding, directly supporting educator compensation and school funding stability per education topic description.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDirectly increases minimum teacher salaries to $45k-$52.5k with COLA adjustments, advancing wage standards for public school workers under Labor & Employment protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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died · Maine · Senate Apr 29, 2026

LD 1955: An Act To Increase Child Care Affordability And Early Childhood Educator Stability

LD 1955 establishes two new programs to support child care providers and early childhood educators in Maine. The Maine Child Care Affordability Program provides funding to help these workers pay for licensed child care for their own children, requiring both the worker and their child to use facilities meeting quality standards. A separate Salary Sustainability Program for Child Care Professionals aims to improve retention by supporting educators' salaries through the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill directs the department to create implementing rules, including funding limits and quality standards, while repealing an outdated section of law. This directly affects licensed child care workers and their families seeking affordable, quality care.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates state funds for child care affordability and educator salary programs, increasing budget appropriations for public services95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill directly supports early childhood educators through salary sustainability and child care affordability programs, enhancing workforce stability and access to early education services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDirectly supports early childhood educators' salaries and retention through dedicated funding, advancing employment stability and compensation standards in the labor force.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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signed · Maine · House Apr 16, 2026

LD 2226: An Act To Amend The Essential Programs And Services School Funding Formula

Maine LD 2226 amends the state's school funding formula to change how financial support is calculated for public schools and charter schools. The bill introduces a new method for predicting student transportation costs, capping them at 105% of recent actual expenditures adjusted for inflation, and updates the regional cost-of-living adjustment to align with teacher salary matrices. It also modifies funding weights for economically disadvantaged students and raises the special education prevalence threshold from 15% to 17%, while altering how high-cost special education placements are reimbursed. Additionally, the legislation caps certain maintenance of effort adjustments and prohibits midyear funding increases for unexpected out-of-district special education tuition costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill amends the school funding formula to adjust transportation costs and weights for disadvantaged students, directly managing state education appropriations.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationThe bill amends the school funding formula to adjust costs for transportation, living expenses, and student needs, directly affecting financial support for public schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Maine · House Apr 16, 2026

LD 2107: An Act To Establish The Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program

This bill establishes the Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations for improving security at their facilities. The program is designed to help protect nonprofit properties from hate crimes and terror attacks by funding physical security enhancements, security personnel, and security planning. To qualify, organizations must be tax-exempt and demonstrate they are at high risk of experiencing these types of threats. The bill appropriates $1,500,000 from the General Fund for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with the Maine Emergency Management Agency responsible for administering the grants through a competitive application process. Any unused funds at the end of a fiscal year will be carried forward for future use.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $1.5M to fund nonprofit security grants, directly advancing government spending and fiscal management for public safety.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds security measures to protect nonprofits from hate crimes and terror attacks, enhancing public safety and crime prevention within the criminal justice framework.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Maine · House Apr 15, 2026

LD 2116: An Act To Make Permanent The Affordable Housing Income Tax Credit

This bill makes Maine's affordable housing income tax credit permanent by removing its expiration date of December 31, 2028. The program allows developers to receive tax credits for building or preserving affordable housing units, which they can use to offset their state income tax liability. Key provisions include maintaining an annual credit allocation cap of $15 million, setting aside 10% of credits for rural development preservation projects, and allowing unused credits to be carried forward to future years. The legislation directly affects housing developers and property owners who qualify for the tax credit, ensuring continued financial incentives for affordable housing development beyond the previous sunset date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill makes affordable housing tax credit permanent, providing ongoing tax relief for developers and preserving essential housing programs through state tax policy.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill makes affordable housing tax credit permanent, directly funding and strengthening affordable housing development and preservation programs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Maine · Senate Apr 13, 2026

LD 2140: An Act To Reduce Household Energy Costs In Response To Federal Cuts

This bill creates a refundable state tax credit for Maine residents who make energy-efficient improvements to their permanent homes. The credit covers costs for home energy audits, exterior doors, windows, skylights, insulation, and air sealing materials, with specific dollar limits for each improvement type. The amount of the credit is reduced if a taxpayer's adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds based on their filing status. This legislation aims to help households offset energy expenses by incentivizing upgrades that improve home energy efficiency.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides refundable tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements, offering tax relief to households and promoting fiscal responsibility through energy conservation incentives.85% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill creates refundable tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements, directly supporting energy conservation and efficiency.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill promotes energy efficiency through tax credits for home improvements, reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Maine · House Apr 10, 2026

LD 2212: An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations And Allocations From The General Fund And Other Funds For The Expenditures Of State Government And Changing Certain Provisions Of The Law Necessary To The Proper Operations Of State Government For The Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2026 And June 30, 2027

This Maine legislative bill is a concept draft that proposes to make supplemental appropriations and allocations from the state's General Fund and other funds for fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2027. It also includes changes to existing laws deemed necessary for the proper operation of state government. The bill was submitted by the Governor as emergency legislation under Maine Revised Statutes Title 5. Specific financial details and legal amendments are referenced in separate documents provided by the Governor rather than detailed within this text.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesThe bill explicitly makes supplemental appropriations and allocations from the General Fund, directly managing state budget expenditures for upcoming fiscal years.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes