Senate positions for continued negotiation on tax conformity

AUGUSTA — Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond of Portland released the following statement following the tabling of the tax conformity bill in the Maine Senate on Thursday.

“Good-faith negotiations between all parties in the House and Senate will continue into the weekend as we try to get this important issue right,” said Sen. Alfond. “The Senate has already shown its commitment to following the federal government’s lead by adopting tax conformity for our teachers, businesses and others in this tax filing season. But Democrats in the Senate are also committed to meeting our obligations to Maine’s school districts, especially in rural Maine where ongoing economic uncertainty and falling property values threaten our schools and our children’s futures.”

The Senate and House of Representatives are currently in non-concurrence, with the Senate having taken a preliminary vote to fund tax conformity for tax years 2015 and 2016, and the House having voted to fund full conformity for 2015 and all but the Maine Capital Investment Credit in 2016. The House also amended the bill to allocate an additional $23 million to schools across the state, who are facing funding shortfalls in their current budgets.

With the bodies in non-concurrence, negotiations will continue.

“We know that while Mainers and Maine businesses are eager to see this deal done, they also want us to get it right. We’re making sure we do just that,” Sen. Alfond said.