by Will Tuell

A bill that would have phased out Maine’s income tax in the next five years went down to defeat in the House of Representatives last week, with majority Democrats and breakaway Republicans like Rep. Ken “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias) delivering the fatal blow on the grounds that such a bill would come at the expense of Maine’s elderly and low-income property taxpayers and cost $214,000,000 the first year alone.