On May 21, Maine Governor Paul LePage signed LD 1826, which eliminates the area of the state income tax form that asks taxpayers if they wish to send a small donation to the taxpayer’s favorite political party. Maine is the second state in recent years to eliminate this assistance to political parties. The other such state is Idaho.
A bill in Utah to do the same thing failed to pass this year.
I couldn’t be more proud of my 39%,knuckle-dragging Neanderthal governor and his Republican 1% cohorts.
I would think that this will put the kabosh on the Maine Green Party. I know they made good use of the money they received via this system.
No, this will certainly not put the kabosh on the Maine Green Independent Party. We have guaranteed party status for another two years and should be able to do so going forward. Fundraising is a challenge for all third parties and, unfortunately, the Maine Republicrats could coalesce around the idea of ending the clean funding of political parties through optional, easy donations. A sad day for clean elections.
Republicans will do anything, legally and illegally, to obliterate any political opposition, big or small. And A.L.E.C is providing them the blueprints.
Any time any one of them swears to uphold “the constitution,” they should be asked “Which one?”
that is pretty damn dumb
Richard:
In total, how many states have had at one time or another some form of a political donation check-off system on their income tax forms? Long before the State started to add numerous ‘charitable’ type check-offs to side 3 of Form 540, California used to allow a tax-payer to designate I recall a maximum $25. donation from their tax refund to the ballot-qualified party of their choice. I don’t know when the program was started but for whatever reason it was discontinued over 15 years ago.
They should have gotten rid of the income tax.
The California law sun-setted in 1996. It was very helpful for the Green Party in California while it existed. Had it remained in place through today’s era when the voter registration forms asked for email addresses and the Green Party could have cheaply contacted thousands of its members electronically to appraise them of this option, it could have been a financial lifesaver for minor parties in the state.