With our work in Augusta complete for the year, our attention turns to constituent work, summer and the June ballot. In addition to legislative and gubernatorial primaries, we have a people’s veto on the tax reform package as well as four bond questions. Over the next few weeks, I will go over each of the questions and present useful information.

Community Event: May Day
On Saturday May 1st, I joined other legislators to address a crowd of several hundred at an immigration rally here in Portland. The rally celebrated Maine’s and Portland’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and stood united against the immigration law that recently passed in Arizona.

I was proud to address the crowd and share how Portland is an excellent example of one of Maine’s many welcoming attributes. Seven years ago, the Portland City Council passed an ordinance declaring that no City police officer or employee shall inquire into the immigration status of any person, or engage in activities for the purpose of ascertaining the immigration status of any person. This shows how legislation can build relationships between law enforcement and communities of color, rather than destroy relationships with degrading and humiliating racial profiling.

I am proud to represent the most diverse Senate district in the state.

June Bonds
This June 8th, we will be voting on four bond questions. Altogether, these bonds would borrow $108.3 million and leverage $96.75 million in federal funds – a total of $205 million invested in Maine. Bonds are an important part of state government. It grants us access to capital needed to invest in our infrastructure and create and maintain jobs

Maine currently holds $1 billion in tax-supported debt, and we have an aggressive repayment rate of 10 years for each bond. These bonds allow us to invest in transportation, higher education, and research, development, and technology to create the high-paying jobs Maine needs.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll discuss the particulars of each bond question and the investments each one will make.

Click here to see all five questions that will be on the June ballot.

Question 1 – Tax Reform
Question 1 reads, “Do you want to reject the new law that lowers Maine’s income tax and replaces that revenue by making changes to the sales tax?”

In the first legislative session, the Legislature passed LD 1495 or what is commonly referred to the tax reform package. After the bill became law, enough signatures were gathered to send this out to Maine voters.

This bill, while far from perfect, makes necessary changes in our tax structure by modernizing it, so we no longer rely solely on big-ticket items like building materials, car sales and real estate development for our revenues.  It reduces income taxes for 96% of Mainers. It will also stabilize the State’s revenues by putting taxes on more sale transactions (our sales taxes will now reflect most states’), thereby shifting the burden to tourists and other visitors, while removing it from residents.

The tax reform overwhelmingly benefits a majority of Maine taxpayers, businesses and will reduce the volatility of our state tax revenues. It furthermore will pass on millions of dollars to our tourist through the increases in meals and lodging taxes. Please let me know what you think.

Click here for a MECEP report on the tax reform law.
Click here for a MHPC report on the tax reform law.

Closing
I am around town a lot more now, so please let me know what events are happening and how I can be of assistance!

-Justin