PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s highest earners will pay an additional 3 percent tax toward a new fund that will help support public education.
Voters approved a ballot question to add the tax on individual taxable incomes above $200,000. The vote was extremely close — less than 1 percentage point.
The fund’s purpose is to support student learning in kindergarten through 12th grade in public schools. Hundreds of TV ads aired about the school funding proposal.
Supporters say the fund will raise $157 million per year. The campaign manager for the ballot question had accused state politicians of giving tax breaks to wealthy residents rather than fund schools.
Critics of the proposal included Republican Gov. Paul LePage and his Democratic predecessor, John Baldacci. They say a new tax would hurt the economy.