Sen. Chenette sets the record straight on LePage’s tax conformity claims

​AUGUSTA — In response to the governor’s “tax alert,” Sen. Justin Chenette of Saco, the Senate Democratic Lead on the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, released the following statement:
 
“The latest announcement from the governor on tax conformity is both misleading and intentionally provocative. When Gov. LePage introduced his plan to completely rewrite the state tax code to favor corporations and the wealthy in February, the Taxation Committee got right to work to negotiate the best deal for Maine. A month before the statutory adjournment, lawmakers on the Legislature's Taxation Committee continued to get various changes, numbers, and analysis from the administration and their out-of-state consultants.

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Throughout the process, Republicans refused to negotiate. Finally, right before the end of session, Democrats and Republicans agreed on a deal to target the relief to those most in need in Maine.
 
However, the failure to extend the legislative session (not once but twice) left this deal and many other important pieces of legislation in limbo, including but not limited to funding for nursing home funding, funding for direct care workers, initiatives to address the opioid epidemic, and critical infrastructure bonds. It's time the governor's actions meet his rhetoric. He has the full authority to call the Legislature back in to finish the work. The ball is in his court."

See the Governor's statement HERE