MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Board
    • Local Chambers of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Member Companies
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Annual Meeting and Dinner
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Strictly Social
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Member Login

 

 

The Daily Edition for Monday, May 4, 2020

To view this Daily Impact online, click here.

 

 

Welcome to your Daily Impact newsletter!

As a valued member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, we plan to stay in touch with you every afternoon, through emails like this one and on Facebook and Twitter, until the pandemic passes. We intend to provide you with the latest state and federal information, as well as highlighting the creativity and innovation that is occuring here in Maine during this unpredictable and rapidly changing time. To assist you in navigating the uncertainties ahead, we have created a diverse and comprehensive collection of web-based resources to help you take care of yourself and your family, your employees, your business, and your community.

Do you have a question? ASK THE EXPERTS.

We are here to help in any way we can!

 

 

$317 Million Awarded To Small Maine Businesses In Second Bailout Round

Today, Mainebiz reported that a total of $317 million in loans have been awarded to 9,000-plus small Maine businesses so far in the second round of the federal Paycheck Protection Program, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Amy Bassett, director of the agency's Maine District Office, said that 9,026 loans has been awarded to Maine businesses by Friday, with an average loan size at $35,145 - which is critical help for some of Maine's smallest businesses, she said.

 

The news comes after Gov. Janet Mills last week announced a plan to gradually reopen the state's economy in stages, and pressure from some business groups and owners to move up the timetable. Mills has underscored the plan is subject to adjustments in both directions.

 

To Reopen, Maine Needs To Test Far More People. Here's What It Will Take.

The Bangor Daily News reported early this morning that having enough testing capacity - for doctors to order COVID-19 tests for their patients whenever they need to, and get results quickly - would ultimately allow residents to better know if they could go to work or visit with friends, help employers make decisions about their business operations, and allow public health agencies to better track and respond to emerging outbreaks.

 

Maine State Chamber Presents Free Wednesday Webinar Series

 

SERIES SPONSORS: Bangor Savings Bank, Central Maine Power Company,
and Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

 

Additional webinars will be forthcoming, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration or general questions can be directed to Angela Arno, director of programs and events for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, by emailing [email protected] or calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 104.

 

Wednesday, May 6 | Starting at 11:00 a.m.

CHALLENGES FOR MANUFACTURING,
INTERNATIONAL TRADE, AND ENERGY

 

This webinar will focus on challenges for manufacturing due to the impacts of COVID-19 on international trade and energy. Guest speakers are John Murphy, senior vice president for international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Christopher Guith, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber's Global Energy Institute; and, Anthony W. Buxton, Esq., a partner at PretiFlaherty.

 

Register here | Sponsored by PretiFlaherty

Wednesday, May 13 | Starting at 11:00 a.m.

RECENT STATE AND FEDERAL TAX CHANGES
AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS

 

This webinar will focus on federal tax changes contained in the CARES Act and changes made at the state level that provide support for businesses during this pandemic. Additional topics also include a look at the ever-changing landscape at the federal level for additional stimulus funds and what those changes might look like.

 

Register here | Sponsored by Pierce Atwood and WIPFLi, LLP

Maine State Chamber Webinar Series | Recordings and Recaps

 

Listen to the recording here

 

Listen to the recording here

 

Listen to the recording here

 

Pingree Calls For Unrestricted Direct Cash Relief For Small Business

On April 29, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree cosponsored the Restore America's Main Street Act, legislation to support small businesses by providing them with unrestricted direct cash relief to keep their businesses in operation. HR 6619 would create the first-ever small business rebate check to pay employees, rent, and other general businesses expenses.

 

The Restore America's Main Street Act targets the smallest businesses and focuses on getting them immediate and unrestricted relief through a small business rebate check. These rebates could be used to pay employees, rent, debt service, and vendors to help these businesses keep their lights on. Qualifying small businesses with $1.5 million or less in gross receipts and 50 or fewer employees would receive a check equal to 30% of the gross receipts reported in a previous year, up to $120,000. Self-employed and certain charitable organizations will also be eligible for the rebate. No application would be needed, as direct relief would be provided to qualifying businesses.

 

Golden, Collins, King Push SBA To Make PPP Relief Available To Critical Access Hospitals Like Calais, Penobscot Valley

On Friday, Congressman Jared Golden, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, and U.S. Senator Angus King took action to protect access to health care and preserve important economic drivers in rural Maine. The lawmakers pressed Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza to amend her agency's yet-to-be finalized Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) rules to make non-profit critical access hospitals currently undergoing Chapter 11 reorganization, like Calais Regional Hospital and Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln, eligible for PPP relief.

 

Due to their Chapter 11 status, the two critical access hospitals had their applications for PPP aid automatically rejected last month, as COVID-19 continues to increase their costs and limit their revenue. Absent relief, reports indicate both hospitals may be forced to close within months.

 

To reserve your banner ad in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
[email protected], or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

Senators Collins, King Announce 121 Rural Maine Health Providers To Receive $131.5 Million To Support Fight Against COVID-19

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced Friday that 121 Maine rural health care providers - including hospitals, clinics, and community health centers - will receive $131,501,672 through the CARES Act that they voted for. Senators Collins and King have previously announced a total of $187,806,676 for Maine hospitals and other health care providers to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"Keeping the doors open to rural hospitals is critical to helping protect the health of residents in the surrounding communities. This funding will provide crucial support to rural medical providers at a time of enormous stress on our health care system," said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. "We will continue our efforts to provide doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals on the front lines with the resources they need to safely treat patients."

 

Rural hospitals, many of which were operating on thin margins prior to COVID-19, have been particularly devastated by this pandemic. As healthy patients delay care and cancel elective services, rural hospitals are struggling to keep their doors open. Rural acute care general hospitals and critical access hospitals will receive a minimum $1,000,000, with additional payment based on operating expenses.

 

King, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Streamline Medical Supply Production Chain For Increased Manufacturing Of Life-Saving Supplies

U.S. Senator Angus King has cosponsored legislation that outlines a specific, responsive framework for a coronavirus response by federalizing the supply chain for critical medical supplies and equipment, that includes oversight procedures to maintain integrity. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the president to utilize all available authorities under the Defense Production Act to mobilize a federal response to the pandemic through an equitable and transparent process. The legislation is supported by AFL-CIO, SEIU, the National Nurses United, and United Steelworkers.

 

Senator King has repeatedly pushed for strong federal leadership to address the coronavirus pandemic. He has previously cosponsored legislation that would direct the Administration to invoke the DPA federalize the manufacturing and distribution of scarce in-demand medical supplies, and has worked with the rest of the Maine Delegation to repeatedly push for additional PPE to protect the Maine people working on the frontlines of the coronavirus response. Last month, he urged Vice President Mike Pence to conduct a national inventory of the coronavirus diagnostic testing supply and to provide a detailed plan and timeline for addressing future shortages and gaps in the testing supply chain. Additionally, he raised concerns about the administration's reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Use the Maine State Chamber's blog and Daily Impact to tell your story!

Numerous Maine companies stepping up or pivoting nimbly, as Maine people resourcefully address the challenges of this pandemic. Share your perspective and experience with us and with the rest of the business community. How are you facing and overcoming the challenges posed by this pandemic? What are you and your employees doing in this dramatically different economy? Tell us about the innovations your company or employees are making or ways you have adapted your company to meet your customers' needs.

 

Each blog entry should be 300 to 500 words. Join us in creating a written history of the business community's resilience and innovation during this extraordinary time. Please submit your entries to [email protected]. For more information or questions, please contact Mark Ellis by emailing [email protected] or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 109.

 

This USM Nursing Student Just Started Work In One Of Maine's Coronavirus Hotspots

The Bangor Daily News reported today that Lt. Col. David Shoemaker, a resident of Portland, will soon be a graduate of the University of Southern Maine's School of Nursing. Following his retirement from 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a microbiologist helping to develop medical products for the Department of Defense, he enrolled at USM and is now scheduled to graduate in August from the 15-month program.

 

In the meantime, he's working part-time as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), lending his services in one of Maine's coronavirus hotspots - the Maine Veterans' Homes facility in Scarborough. The 125-bed home is one of six long-term care facilities in the state facing an outbreak of COVID-19. Shoemaker, who has only been certified as a CNA for a month, is one of 193 nursing students and faculty members from the university system volunteering to work on the front lines of fighting COVID-19 in Maine - helping out at the veterans' home in Scarborough (53 cases) and Tall Pines Retirement and Healthcare Community in Belfast (43 cases).

 

"CNA work is humble work. It's not about developing a new vaccine, a new drug or a new diagnostic test," Shoemaker said. "It's helping someone bathe and brush their teeth. It's feeding someone who can't feed themselves. It's taking someone to the bathroom and getting them cleaned up. What really strikes me is that it's really about caring for some very special human beings, and as a veteran, it's very humbling for me to serve these veterans, some of whom are in the sunset years of their lives."

 

 

To join these advertisers in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
[email protected], or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.

NOTICE: In an ongoing effort to thwart the activities of online hackers, the Maine State Chamber
has researched and tested the links in this document and determined that they are safe.

 

Copyright Maine State Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
 128 State Street | Suite 101 | Augusta, ME 04330-5630
 Phone: (207) 623-4568
For media inquiries, please contact Katie Clark (207) 233-2230
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Board
    • Local Chambers of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Member Companies
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Annual Meeting and Dinner
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Strictly Social
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Member Login