Augusta- State Representatives Joshua Morris (R-Turner), Tracy Quint (R-Hodgdon), and Jack Ducharme (R-Madison) issued the following statements on Janet Mills’ budget proposals that would tax all prescriptions ($0.70 on every prescription filled) and tax ambulances at 6% of their operating revenue in Maine. Additionally, her budget cuts funding for rural pharmacy access at a time when some Mainers are traveling more than an hour to the nearest pharmacy.
“It is unconscionable that Janet Mills and the Democrats want to balance their gargantuan budget by raising taxes on Maine’s most vulnerable. Paying Mills’ new tax on vital medicine will strain already thin household budgets. Mills isn’t stopping at taxing prescriptions – ambulances in Maine are already struggling to survive, and her ‘solution’ is to raise taxes on them too. Janet Mills and the Democrats are making healthcare in Maine more expensive and more dangerous.” -Representative Joshua Morris
“Rural municipal budgets are overburdened by excessive taxes and unfunded mandates. This has placed our communities in jeopardy as the costs of maintaining basic essential services has become unsustainable. This tax on emergency services is unreasonable and dangerous.” – Representative Tracy Quint
“Not only are they increasing these taxes, they have stripped out the $4M funding passed in the 131st for a rural pharmacy access program before it could even get off the ground. There were groups ready to apply for assistance in setting up rural pharmacy access but needed to know the rules! Too bad, the money is being stripped out and once again rural Mainers are being left out by this administration.” -Representative Jack Ducharme
Representative Morris serves on the Health Care, Insurance, and Financial Services Committee. Rep. Quint serves on the Taxation Committee. Rep. Ducharme serves as the House GOP lead on the Appropriations Committee.
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