Maine Taxpayers, “All Taxpayers,” Deserve Better 

Tonight’s party line vote in the Appropriations Committee on the Supplemental Budget misses an opportunity to recognize that all Maine taxpayers are trying to overcome the pandemic together. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic collapse has been tough on all Mainers. From those who lost their jobs, to those who showed up every day to work under extremely stressful conditions, and to employers on the brink of shuttering their doors. 

Republican members of the Appropriations Committee worked very hard to get to a unanimous vote on a Supplemental, but this afternoon negotiations ceased, and the Democrats then forced a vote on a majority proposal. 

Rather than doing the work to reach an agreement that can obtain support from representatives of all parts of Maine, the Committee advanced partial conformity that will likely fail to achieve bipartisan support and the necessary two-thirds vote to pass the Legislature.

Republicans will advance a minority report that stands with all Maine employers and their employees, all workers, and all taxpayers.  We hope there will be ongoing conversations to provide beneficial tax relief to all Mainers in the biennial budget. We are all in this together and it is unfortunate that Republicans were left sitting alone at the negotiating table by Democrats.