Sen. Mike Tipping to chair the Labor Committee for the 132nd Maine State Legislature 

Posted: December 12, 2024 | Senator Tipping

AUGUSTA — Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, has been appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to serve as Senate chair of the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Labor for the 132nd Maine State Legislature. 
 

The Labor Committee works on bills, laws, and policies related to collective bargaining, the Department of Labor, employee benefits and contracts, minimum wage, occupational safety, retirement, unemployment, and workers compensation.

“Last year, as the Labor and Housing Chair, I worked with my colleagues to pass Maine’s landmark paid family and medical leave program and to ensure that Maine workers are paid what they’re owed. We also made it easier for workers to exercise their rights to form a union,” said Sen. Tipping. “I was disappointed that other basic protections we passed, including the minimum wage for farm workers, didn’t make it into law. I look forward to returning to work on those issues.”
 
Besides chairing the Labor Committee, Sen. Tipping will serve on the Taxation Committee, a committee that works on bills, laws, and policies related to income tax credits, municipal revenue sharing, property tax relief programs, and tax increment financing. It broadly oversees the administration and reform of multiple taxes – including cannabis, estate, income, motor vehicle excise, and sales – in Maine.
 

“I am looking forward to serving on the Taxation Committee, which my brother, the Hon. Ryan Tipping, previously chaired for two terms,” said Sen. Tipping. “We have a lot of work to do to level the playing field for regular Mainers, making our tax system more fair and ensuring that older Mainers can afford to stay in their homes.” 

Sen. Tipping will also serve on the Government Oversight Committee. It oversees program evaluation and government accountability matters in state government. It seeks to ensure that public funds are expended for intended purposes and that programs and activities are economically, effectively, and efficiently managed. The committee conducts public inquiries and directs the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to conduct independent, objective reviews of state agency and programs.

“As a member of the Government Oversight Committee, I launched an investigation into the inexcusably long call times for Mainers seeking to speak with someone at DHHS. Since then, the Department has hired more staff, and the call times have gone down,” said Sen. Tipping. “My Labor and Housing co-chair and I also raised concerns to the GOC about the dangerous working conditions for employees of Riverview and Dorothea Dix, prompting new oversight. I look forward to continuing this work, as well as continuing to advocate for the implementation of the committee’s recommendations for the reform of Child Protective Services and its tax expenditure evaluations.”

Lawmakers are assigned to committees by the presiding officers based on their interests, experience and professional background. Joint standing committees are composed of three senators and ten representatives. 

 
Sen. Mike Tipping is serving his second term in the Maine State Senate. In the 131st Maine State Legislature, Sen. Tipping was the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Labor and Housing Committee. He was also a member of the Government Oversight Committee.

Sen. Tipping represents Maine Senate District 8, which includes 26 communities in central and northern Penobscot County. The Legislature is set to reconvene on Jan. 8, 2025. 

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