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AUGUSTA – Student attendance was sparse in Augusta last Friday at a public hearing for a bill that would cut the cost of textbooks for Maine students.
“It would have been good to have more students there,” said Rep. Marilyn Canavan, D-Waterville, who introduced the bill to the Committee on Taxation. “But we understand there are classes and students are busy.”
The bill, which received no vocal opposition at the hearing, would exclude from sales tax textbooks associated with a course of study at an accredited college. They are currently subject to the 5.5 percent Maine sales tax.
Despite the empty seats, Canavan was optimistic about the bill.
“[The Committee] received us well and I think they understood what it was this bill is trying to do,” Canavan said.
Rep. Emily Cain, D-Orono, spoke in support of the bill.
“This is a little thing that could go a long way in helping students,” said Cain, who attributed the low attendance to the delay of the hearing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “This bill would send a strong signal from Maine. It shows we are doing something for the hardworking students.”
The Committee questioned the loss of tax revenue that the bill would create.
The Maine Revenue Service found in 2001 that $1.5 million of tax revenue was from college textbooks, Canavan said. She estimates that now the figure is upward of $2 million.
Cain suggested the proposal as part of the comprehensive tax reform that the committee is currently working on.
“When you line this up with the other more expensive tax credits we have, this is worth it,” she said.
The Committee also asked if programs such as Opportunity Maine, which is up to referendum in November, were already doing enough to help students financially.
“They are completely different bills,” Canavan said. “Opportunity Maine is primarily to keep students in the state. Every students needs to buy textbooks. This is a different kind of tax relief.”
Maine is one of the highest-taxed states, especially regarding property taxes, according to Canavan.
“As far as where the tax revenue would come from, I think the tax committee is in a better position to make that decision than I am,” she said. “But we can’t afford not to [pass this bill].”
According to University of Maine Bookstore manager Bill Hockensmith, the average student spends more than $700 annually on textbooks.
Maine and Vermont are the only states in New England to not have a tax exemption policy for college textbooks. There are 26 states across the nation that already have such a policy in place.
The bill will be under work session today.
“What we need is for every student to e-mail their hometown legislator and tell them that this is a bill that they support and want passed,” Canavan said.
