Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said yesterday that he will file paperwork to pave the way for a people’s veto of the tax reform bill Gov. John Baldacci signed into law last week, according to the Kennebec Journal.
Webster said funding for the campaign would have to come from the business community, but that party volunteers want to help gather signatures, the paper reported. Leaders from several of Maine’s business associations met this morning to discuss the legislative session and the potential people’s veto campaign, Curtis Picard, executive director of the Maine Merchants Association, told Mainebiz. He said he couldn’t commit his organization to the potential campaign until he meets with his board. “I’ve definitely heard from a lot of members during this process,” he said. “They’re still pretty upset, upset because they feel they were not listened to throughout the whole process.”
Picard said eight to 10 people were at the meeting, but that there was no clear consensus on the potential campaign. “Ultimately, it falls on somebody’s shoulders. Who that is going to be is speculation at this point.”
Picard told Mainebiz the major hurdles to a people’s veto are cost and time. Because the legislative session ended later this year, the window of opportunity for a successful campaign to get the question on the November ballot is much smaller, he said. If a coalition forms to pursue a people’s veto, the group would need to deliver 55,087 signatures to the state by sometime in August. “That’s a tall order,” Picard said.
Baldacci signed LD 1495 into law last Friday. The law decreases Maine’s income tax rate from 8.5% to 6.5% for those making under $250,000, increases the meals and lodging tax from 7% to 8.5% and expands Maine’s 5% sales tax to more goods and services.Â
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