AUGUSTA — Supporters of a proposed new tax on high earners say a bill heading to the full Legislature is a chance to fund public schools for the long term.

LD 1089 seeks to permanently fund the state’s 55% share of education costs by placing a new tax on income over $1 million.

The Taxation Committee voted 7-5 in favor of the bill, with Democrats voting in support and Republicans voting against. The House and Senate will take it up in the coming days.

“Today I am asking that our richest share a slice of bread with those who turn the dough and made the loaf for them to eat,” said bill sponsor Rep. Cheryl Golek (D-Harpswell). “Our economy shouldn’t be balanced on the backs of the working class. Yet it is.” 

Republican leaders say they don’t back the proposal — or any tax increases that might be in a new state budget.

“In my time in the Legislature here, we’ve put more and more money into K-12 education and our (test) scores have only gone down,” said Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Presque Isle). “This is not a money issue, this is a policy issue, this is a performance issue.”

Republicans say tax increases often don’t work in the way Democrats believe they will.

“Hiding behind a millionaire’s tax, that somehow that’s going to solve our problems, is completely disingenuous and a lie pushed by the Democrats and far left agenda,” Stewart said. 

Groups supporting Golek’s bill include the Maine People’s Alliance, the Maine Center for Economic Policy and Maine Equal Justice. In addition to the “millionaire’s tax” they are urging lawmakers to support what they describe as other tax fairness bills.

Those include raising taxes on corporations with profits higher than $3.5 million, changing the state’s tax brackets so a person who makes $1 million a year isn’t paying the same tax rate as someone who makes $100,000 and creating a real estate transfer tax for high-value homes to support rural housing.

Maura Pillsbury, a tax policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the state needs additional funds to pay for social service programs and school.

“To protect the programs, we all rely on and invest in Maine’s future, we need the wealthiest Mainers and most profitable corporations to pay their fair share,” she said. “When they do most of them won’t feel a thing, but our schools, farms and communities will.”