All Mainers sacrificed, all should benefit from the billions flowing to Maine

STATE HOUSE – Today, House and Senate Republicans held a formal press conference to urge the Mills Administration and majority democrats to use one-time monies to help all Maine citizens recover from the pandemic and to address chronically underfunded needs.

Recently revised revenue forecasts project that Maine will have an additional $940 million available over the next three years. That does not include $14 billion in federal aid Maine has received. This one-time opportunity can help individuals and their families recover financially from the pandemic if funds go back to the people directly. 

• Republicans propose direct income tax relief– A $10,200 exemption for taxpayers that did not already receive one for unemployment income. This will especially help frontline and service workers who worked throughout the pandemic.
• Republicans propose to increase the Homestead Exemption Reimbursement to Municipalities from 70% to 100%. This will ensure that homeowners receive direct relief without affecting municipal budgets. Many Mainers stayed in their homes for over a year. This will especially benefit retirees and seniors on fixed incomes.
• Republicans want to increase Municipal Revenue Sharing from 3.75% to 5%. This will help address rising property tax rates. 

Republicans publicly unveiled a detailed, working list of budget priorities on May 3. The full list is available on the House Republican website.

Other priorities include proposals for health care and insurance, nursing home workers, veterans, economic development, public safety, the environment, natural resources, career and technical education, transportation infrastructure and front-line workers.

Link to Full Press Conference

Link to full list of Budget Priorities  

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