Most Maine employees will stand up to 12 weeks of paid break day for household or medical causes as a part of a supplemental price range Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed into legislation on Tuesday.
The spending invoice included $25 million in startup prices for the state program which permits employees – beginning in 2026 – to obtain paid depart to take care of sickness, to take care of a relative, or for the start of a kid.
Maine joins a dozen different states which have paid household and medical depart packages. The focus of laws has been on the state stage after failure to realize traction in Congress.
The program caught the eye of the White House, the place press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre applauded the state’s motion.
“Paid family and medical leave improves the lives of working families and strengthens our workforce and economy,” she mentioned, including that the Biden administration has labored to make the federal authorities a mannequin by supporting federal employees in accessing wanted depart.
Putting it in private phrases, Mills mentioned that she deeply understood the necessity for this system – having handled the lack of a husband following a debilitating stroke, the realities of elevating fives stepdaughters on her personal and caring for her personal getting old mother and father, all whereas working full time.
“I know firsthand the challenges of providing care to loved ones while trying to manage all the unexpected ups and downs that are simply facts of life,” she beforehand wrote in a newspaper op-ed.
The Democratic-led Legislature already authorized a virtually $10 billion important companies price range that went into impact on July 1. That price range was authorized alongside occasion traces in March, Democrats mentioned, to forestall any late partisan try to make use of a authorities shutdown as a bargaining tactic.
The budgetary addendum, about $445 million coping with extras, seemingly gained’t go into impact till late October as a result of it did not muster a two-thirds majority within the Legislature it could’ve wanted to enter impact instantly.
It consists of language to start out the paid depart program that might be funded by means of a payroll tax break up between employees and employers and capped at 1% of wages. Qualifying situations embrace the start or adoption of a kid, a critical sickness, take care of a sick relative or transition from army deployment.
Businesses with fewer than 15 staff are usually not required to make employer contributions to this system. Companies that already supply comparable advantages can simply follow their present plans.
Key to help had been a number of tax-related proposals together with one which raised the quantity of pension revenue that’s exempt from state revenue taxes from $30,000 to $35,000. Lawmakers additionally included cash to double the pay of childcare employees, in addition to funding for the governor’s proposed Dirigo Business Tax Incentive Plan, which might exchange the present Pine Tree Development Zones.
The governor initially balked on the paid depart proposal, which was opposed by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and others within the enterprise group, however the invoice was tweaked to win her help.
“I am over the moon,” mentioned state Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, after taking a congratulatory name from the White House and attending the signing ceremony. She sponsored the invoice with Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston.
Together, the important companies price range and supplemental price range takes spending to historic ranges – about $10.3 billion – nevertheless it stays balanced and the state’s wet day fund stays at a record-high stage, mentioned Kirsten Figueroa, commissioner for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com