“Hearing details: LD 1324 to support a long range strategy for reducing poverty and economic inequality with a committee formed to do a feasibility study on Wednesday, April 3, arrive at 10:30 AM (following other bill hearings, so best estimate of arrival time), in Room 202 of the Cross Office Building, next to the State Capitol in Augusta.

LD 1324, “”to establish the committee to study the feasibility of creating basic economic security,” is asking the Maine legislature to make a commitment to study and, where possible, later create programs to provide cash benefits thru a universal basic income, tax credits, and other cash benefits to Maine people. A copy of the bill is attached (below).

If you can submit written testimony, send to the Labor and Housing Committee via email at LBHS@legislature.maine.gov. Committee clerk is Safiya Khalid, 207-287-1331 or c/o Legislative Information Office, State House Station 100, Augusta, ME 04333. Sending testimony before or on April 3 is best, but later comments are OK also.

If you can attend the hearing and submit oral testimony (3 minutes or less—about 300-325 words for oral, but you can give them written testimony also, and that can be longer), please come! Testimony is best if short and to the point; the longer it is, the less likely that legislators will actually read (all of) it.

Feel free to say whatever you think is an important contribution to this effort in your testimony. This bill is just to establish a committee to do a feasibility study, not a specific program. Some topics you could address: Economic inequality, reducing poverty, benefits of unconditional and universal, cash vs. earmarked programs, automation and lack of jobs in the future, benefits of doing a comprehensive study, changes you would suggest in the current text of the bill, encouraging results of previous and current (pilot) projects like the Earned Income Tax Credit, what you know and like about a Universal Basic Income as one kind of basic income security plan, etc.

Questions?
Larry Dansinger
(207) 262-3706 or larryd@myfairpoint.net”