Senator Jon Courtney

Senator Jon Courtney

During his service in the Maine Legislature, Jon Courtney has been a strong advocate for creating jobs through reducing the tax burden in Maine. He has been a strong supporter of spending limitations at all levels of government in an effort to reduce the local property tax.

Jon has supported the Historic Preservation Tax Credit to help rejuvenate our Downtown and had a companion bill signed by Governor Baldacci that will help pay for it through dedicating state revenues generated by these projects for future projects. He has been a strong supporter of alternative energy and was a co-sponsor on Gov. Baldacci’s solar initiative.

Jon has worked on many Veterans’ issues and was supportive of the expansion of the Veteran’s Homestead Exemption. In addition, Governor Baldacci, at the request of Senator Courtney, declared August 2008 as “Agent Orange Awareness Month.”

He has also been a strong proponent of marketplace reforms in Maine’s healthcare system that would reduce the cost of healthcare and make health insurance more accessible. He has been an advocate for the Community College system and was part of a bipartisan York County delegation effort that helped retire the debt on the York County Community College.

As a member of the Joint Committee on Future Prosperity, Jon helped forge a unanimous bipartisan recommendation of the committee to put Maine on track to reduce the income tax from 8.5% to 4.5% through the dedication of future revenue surpluses.

Jon  spends many hours each week on constituent services, which he says, “Is the most rewarding part of this job.” He can often be seen at local events and enjoys the “wise counsel of the people” who elected him.

In 2008, Senator Courtney was elected Assistant Republican Leader and has worked tirelessly to forge bipartisan respectful debate while promoting the common sense solutions of his caucus.

Following his reelection in 2010, Jon was chosen by his Republican colleagues to serve as Senate Majority Leader. He also serves as the senate chair of the Joint Rules Committee, chair of the Taxation Committee, and Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform.

Under his leadership, the Regulatory Fairness and Reform Committee unanimously approved landmark legislation to improve Maine’s regulatory environment.  LD 1 – “An Act to Ensure Regulatory Fairness and Reform” – won broad bipartisan support with a 98% vote in the House and unanimous support in the Senate. As an emergency measure, LD 1 became public law immediately after Governor LePage signed it on June 13, 2011.

Jon is married and lives in Springvale. He is the father of three grown children.  He has three step children and three grandchildren.