AUGUSTA — Jason Levesque lost a bid for a contract Tuesday to a competing call center in the Philippines. He understands pressure from overseas. He understands wanting to keep work here. The president and founder of Argo Marketing Group, headquartered in Lewiston, told legislators Tuesday that he doesn’t understand “An Act to Retain Call Centers […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Increased sales tax proposal draws opposition
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage is coming under fire for his attempt to raise and broaden the sales tax to help pay for his income tax cut. LePage wants to raise the sales tax — currently 5.5 percent — one percentage point and expand it to include things like legal and accounting services. Tickets […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Panel doesn’t consider state dog legislation very fetching
AUGUSTA — It’s unlikely that the Labrador retriever will be named the official Maine state dog. The State and Local Government Committee voted 9-2 on Monday in favor of rejecting the bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. David Dutremble of Biddeford. Supporters argued that the Labrador retriever is the perfect symbol for Maine because it’s friendly, […]
Posted inMaine
Bill requires nonprofits to disclose donors when contributing to Maine political campaigns
AUGUSTA — Nonprofit organizations that spend money on political campaigns in Maine could have to disclose their donors under a bill being offered by state Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton. Saviello’s bill targets what many consider a flaw in the state’s campaign finance disclosure laws and also looks to tackle the issue of so-called “dark money” […]
Posted inMaine
Maine municipal leaders push back on revenue sharing cuts
AUGUSTA — Municipal officials from across Maine say they can’t stretch their budgets any further and will have no choice but to raise property taxes, as they implored lawmakers Wednesday to defeat Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to eliminate state aid to cities and towns. The Republican governor, who as mayor of Waterville decried revenue sharing cuts, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democrats aren’t sold on benefits of LePage’s tax reform plan
AUGUSTA — One of the underlying assumptions about Gov. Paul LePage’s big tax reform pitch is that lowering individual and corporate income taxes and eliminating the estate tax will help reverse Maine’s well-documented population decline. Proponents of the tax reform plan say it will put Maine on the demographic upswing by attracting young professionals and wealthy retirees to […]
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Maine bill would make a pint a pint; Rumford lawmaker wants a full glass
AUGUSTA — Beer drinkers, you know how it goes. You’re looking forward to that tall, cold one after work and what you get instead is an almost full glass or a glass with three inches of foam, instead of beer. But you’re so thirsty you don’t bother to complain. You pay up and drink. But […]
Posted inMaine
Tax on Maine summer camps would force some to close, owners say
AUGUSTA — The snow may be piled high, but dozens of Maine summer camps are already sounding the alarm about a proposal by Republican Gov. Paul LePage that would force many to pay property taxes. LePage’s two-year budget proposal includes a recommendation that the state change its law to allow cities and towns to charge […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislative committee vote shows bipartisanship out the window this session
AUGUSTA — In an early sign that a divided Legislature will have trouble agreeing on what in the past were routine matters, the Taxation Committee voted along party lines Tuesday for a bill that in previous years has caused little disagreement. The 7-6 vote in favor of LD 138 constitutes little more than a recommendation […]
Posted inMaine
Local lawmakers offering mixed reactions to LePage address
AUGUSTA — In reaction to Gov. Paul LePage’s State of the State address Tuesday, both Democrats and Republicans seemed to be keeping open minds to a pending budget proposal that many said is “bold and visionary.” Democrats, including state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, were more reserved in their praise of LePage but still offered an […]