Libby Palanza

3 days ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

A bipartisan group of Maine lawmakers have introduced a bill aiming to increase the value of the state’s Property Tax Fairness Credit beginning in the 2025 tax year. When filing their annual tax returns, Maine homeowners may claim the Property Tax Fairness Credit, subject to qualification based on a number of criteria, including income and filing status. Based on the amount paid in property taxes during a given year, homeowners are eligible to receive a maximum of $1,000.

3 days ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

Democrat lawmakers are looking to expand the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) to all Maine elections, including for the Governor, State Senate, and the State House of Representatives. If a new bill introduced this week is successful, it could change how these state officials are elected. Ranked choice voting has until now been used to ensure that the winner of a given election secures majority support, but Sen.

6 days ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

Yet another bill aiming to allow Maine municipalities to adopt a local option sales tax has been introduced in Augusta just days after the legislative committee that reviews tax proposals rejected a similar “revenue raiser” for towns and cities. Unlike the previous local option sales tax proposals considered by the Taxation Committee, however, LD 1641 would allow municipalities to retain a hundred percent of the revenue it generates.

1 week ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

Maine lawmakers on the Taxation Committee have unanimously rejected three proposals to increase the state’s homestead exemption, a program designed to help lower the property tax bill on Mainers’ primary residences. While one of the now-defeated proposals would have increased the value of this exemption for all homeowners, the other two represented more targeted reforms aimed at increasing aid to seniors and low income residents.

1 week ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

Is federal Medicaid spending, which last year amounted to over $580 billion, a virtual sacred cow for which reform or cuts in spending are unthinkable? House Republicans in Congress have called for a ten year trimming of the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget through reconciliation that would average cuts of about $88 billion a year. Are they playing with the third rail?