Thank goodness the state's constitution gives the governor the right to correct the oversights or mistakes that an absent-minded legislature makes in the confused waning hours before adjournment. One of the primary attractions of Maine as a place to retire has been the fact that state government doesn't tax Social Security income. Governor King's office was deluged last week with phone calls from concerned citizens after the public learned of the legislation. The bill, were it to take effect, would have struck a blow to the state's economy. For Maine, retirement has been big business.
Many retirees can opt to live wherever they choose.
It doesn't take a crystal ball to know that, given a choice, many would be less inclined to settle in a state where a substantial portion of their retirement income would be subject to state, as well as federal, income taxes. Retired state and federal workers have a legitimate gripe. It is unreasonable that they should be taxed more severely than others. But pitting two groups of retirees against each other was hardly the appropriate way to solve the problem. At some point in the past, Maine's legislators made the decision to tax the pension income of those on the public payroll.