« Flash News ONE April 2024

Good day.

This is the first of THREE Flash News pages you will receive. To put them all together would be convenient, but you would be reading until July, and each one has a different, but important focus.

This Flash News is about the budget votes in AUGUSTA.

Crystal spoke about a late night budget meeting that impacts our retirement system. The budget was passed by several democrats and unfavorably affected the amount of tax free money we receive in retirement.

This is a summary sent to me by Carl. Click this link.

MEA - Maine Education Association

Under current law for tax year 2024, $45,860 of pension earnings is exempt from the state income tax. But the Democrats on the Appropriations Committee voted to push the exemption down to $35,000.

Anyone can figure out the impact.

YOU can email your legislators. We should be doing much more of this. They do listen.

Email your legislators – Tell them clearly not to raise taxes on retired teachers and tell them we need them to address the wages of ed techs and support staff and the salaries of teachers. LD 974 proposes to lift wages for ed techs and all support staff. LD 1064 proposes an increase in teacher salaries. We need both in the budget, and we need the tax hikes on retired teachers out of the budget. You can email your legislators here.

AND HERE'S AN UPDATE AS OF Thursday, April 11, 2024

I emailed Senator Peggy Rotundo, member of the Appropriations committee. Here was her response.

Dear Roger - What happened Saturday morning has been misrepresented. People are making a huge issue of this for their own political reasons which I am happy to talk about you at any point. Do you think I would support a proposal that would hurt retired teachers??? The pension amendment, which was designed to reform the law passed last year, not to take anything away from retired educators, will be taken from the budget, so everyone should take a deep breath and know that no changes to the pension will be made. Happy to call you. PLEASE let people know that that the Appropriations would never vote for anything that would harm retired educators.

Most sincerely, Peggy

A Conclusion - It appears that the misunderstood provisions will be removed.

Nonetheless it's a good idea to email your legislators. They do need to hear from us - and much more often.

Emailing works. I know. I served in the legislature for one term.

Best

NEXT FLASH - The situation in WASHINGTON.