I believe it is our responsibility to lower the overall tax burden of Maine residents and adopt a responsible fiscal policy that protects our elderly and our businesses, as well as our neediest citizens. It is our duty to maintain the Maine quality of life and balance jobs and the economic growth with responsible and reasonable environmental practices. Achieving our responsibilities and duties will ensure that our children and their children can continue to live and work in Maine-- a state of opportunity and beauty.
Rep. Kathy Chase Named to National Committee on Budgets and Revenue
August 26, 2009
AUGUSTA – Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named State Rep. Kathy Chase to an influential committee on government finances at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The two-year appointment to the Budgets and Revenue Committee, which takes effect immediately, will bring Rep. Chase into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to financial problems.
“The NCSL is an outstanding and very effective organization, and I’m honored by this appointment,” said Rep. Chase (R-Wells), a second-term legislator. “The Budgets and Revenue Committee provides a forum for legislators to share information. In this era of revenue shortfalls and very tight state budgets, I’m looking forward to discussing financial strategies with legislators from other states.”
The NCSL’s Budgets and Revenue Committee is one of 11 standing committees. It is responsible for protecting the states’ interests in federal decisions regarding fiscal matters, including annual action on the federal budget. It also examines federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including: funding for services and programs; budget processes; tax and revenue systems; legislative oversight; unfunded mandates; and state-local fiscal relations.
Rep. Chase said the NCSL appointment will fit well with her legislative experience. She serves as the ranking Republican on the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Bureau of Revenue Services; property valuation and assessment; municipal revenue sharing; and taxes.
The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues. It advocates for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies.