John,

Good news! After days of refusing to follow the lead of President Trump
and more than half of the governors in the United States, Governor Janet
Mills has announced she will extend the deadline for Mainers to file
state income taxes until July 15th.

I want to offer a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to our friends
at Maine People Before Politics, who have been pushing this issue hard
for the people of Maine, as well as other groups that spoke out to add
their voices.

Anyway, below is the link to the hard-fought extension that will help so
many Mainers who are struggling with the changes that have happened in
the last few weeks, as well as the final statement from MPBP pushing
Gov. Mills to offer this relief.

Stay safe and God Bless You!

Sincerely,

Dr. Demi Kouzounas
Chair
Maine GOP

Finally! Governor Mills Folds, Extends State Income Tax Payment Deadline
to July 15, 2020

**STATEMENT FROM MPBP FROM EARLIER TODAY**

**Governor Janet Mills Refuses to Provide Tax Filing Relief to
Struggling Mainers and Job Creators**

**Said she is "disappointed" over federal action providing relief as
more than half the states follow the feds' lead**

AUGUSTA - One of Maine's largest citizen activist organizations,
Maine People Before Politics, is bringing attention to the fact that
Janet Mills has to date sidestepped the issue of providing tax filing
relief in Maine.

The Trump Administration extended the April 15 tax-filing deadline to
July 15 to give people and businesses more time to prepare and pay their
taxes and to use that cash to pay their workers instead of filling
government coffers.  At least 26 states have moved their dates to July
15, including California, Connecticut, and North Carolina.

Workers are losing jobs and businesses are closing, many of those
closures per the order of Governor Mills.  Yet Janet Mill stated in a
press conference Tuesday that she was "disappointed" the President moved
the IRS tax deadline.

Maine Revenue Services requires tax filers to pay taxes owed by April
15, any payments after that date are subject to interest and penalties,
even if an individual filer takes advantage of an extension.

"A tax payment and filing delay like that of the federal government
would allow businesses to keep employees paid with the funds which would
otherwise go to the tax payment, and hardworking Mainers who owe taxes
can use that money during a trying time to make ends meet," said Julie
Rabinowitz, Director of Policy and Communication for MPBP.

When Governor LePage left office, Maine had a roaring economy, with the
lowest unemployment rate in decades and record tax revenue that
continued to exceed projections.  MPBP calls upon Governor Mills to
make the right decision by prioritizing Maine people in this  financial
crisis.

"Now is the time for Maine to join other states and the federal
government in moving the tax filing deadline.  It is a moment for
leadership," added Rabinowitz.

Maine People Before Politics has raised alarms over the last year about
spending levels in state government.  Just last week, the Legislature
passed $73 million more in state spending in the supplemental budget,
more than half of which had nothing to do with coronavirus response or
health care, based on revenue projections that will likely now never be
realized.

Julie D. Rabinowitz
Director of Policy and Communication
Maine People Before Politics

207-292-2722 ext. 102
Facebook: @MainePeopleBeforePolitics

Twitter: @MainePeopleBP
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