Justin Chenette
  • Bio
  • Commissioner
  • State Govt
  • Projects
    • Speaker
    • Author
    • Consulting Firm
    • Age Friendly Saco
    • Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission
  • Scholarships
  • News
  • Contact

Chenette bill would promote Opportunity Maine tax credit

4/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​AUGUSTA — A bill by Sen. Justin Chenette, D-Saco, would promote the Opportunity Maine program by adding a full time staffer to the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME).
 
The bill - LD 1171, “An Act To Sustain and Attract Skilled Workers to Maine by Improving the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program” - received a public hearing Tuesday before the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.
 
The Educational Opportunity Tax Credit, or EOTC, better known as Opportunity Maine, allows Maine residents with a bachelor’s degree to receive up to $4,000 in tax credits or anyone with an associate’s degree to receive up to $800 tax credits if as long as that person stays in Maine or returns to Maine to live and work after college.
 
Despite the immense benefit provided by the credit, only a fraction of eligible graduates apply for it when they fill out their tax returns, indicating a lack of awareness for the EOTC.
 
Sen. Chenette’s bill adds a full-time staffer within FAME to promote the Opportunity Maine program and communicate with high school guidance counselors, college career counseling services staff, and Maine Revenue Services to reach the targeted demographic that would benefit most from the tax credit program. It also allocates $30,000 for marketing of the program.
 
“Maine students are fourteenth highest in the country in terms of student debt levels, showing there is a clear need for debt relief for young people in our state,” said Sen. Chenette. “The problem is, too few students in Maine are aware of the credit. This bill aims to solve the problem and promote awareness for the program.”

Bill Norbert, the Governmental Affairs and Communications Manager at FAME, spoke in favor of Chenette’s proposal at the public hearing.
 
“We believe the EOTC is an underutilized tool for Maine students and companies in helping to address student debt and workforce development needs,” said Norbert. “FAME helps to market the tax credit itself and also contracts annually with a nonprofit to help the program.”
 
The bill’s cosponsor, Rep. Catherine Nadeau, D-Winslow, also spoke in favor of the proposal.
 
LD 1171 faces further action in the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and votes in the House and Senate.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Latest Updates


    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    RSS Feed

Picture
Email:
justinchenette@gmail.com
Paid for & Authorized by Justin Chenette
  • Bio
  • Commissioner
  • State Govt
  • Projects
    • Speaker
    • Author
    • Consulting Firm
    • Age Friendly Saco
    • Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission
  • Scholarships
  • News
  • Contact