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The Daily Edition for Tuesday, May 5, 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!

 

 

Maine Chambers Gathering Business Input on Safely Reopening State's Economy

Mainebiz reported today that chambers of commerce across Maine are seeking input from members about the Mills' Administration's four-phase plan to reopen the economy, with the aim of helping adjust the plan and guiding specific industries on opening safely. The Governor's plan, announced last week, has sparked questions and controversy as the effects of the nearly two-month shutdown continue to be keenly felt.

 

Responses to the Restarting Maine's Economy survey, organized by the Maine Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (MACCE), will be shared with the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development to help as the reopening plan evolves. It will also be used for industry-specific guidance on reopening.

 

The poll asks business owners if they're satisfied with how their business fits into the Governor's plan, as well as what they think of the plan in general. By Tuesday morning, there were 1,135 responses to the survey. Respondents have until Wednesday to complete the 20 questions, and have been encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Governor's reopening plan first. MACCE represents 61 chambers from Kittery to Fort Kent, as well as HospitalityMaine, the Maine Tourism Association and the Retail Association of Maine.

 

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 aarno@mainechamber.org or calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 104.

 

TOMORROW, 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

 

Helping Maine's struggling child care providers as employees return to work

The Maine State Chamber's partners at Educate Maine, Maine AEYC, and MaineSpark have come together to provide support to an important industry, one that is more important now than ever before. Many of Maine's childcare centers have remained open during the pandemic to take care of the children of essential workers. Unfortunately, they are struggling to find needed and essential cleaning supplies at local stores due to the low supply. Their needs include disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, paper products, gloves, thermometers, alcohol wipes, and related materials.

 

We are hoping our members might be able to help so that these centers can continue to provide safe care to Maine's children. Do you have supplies that are not being used now that employees are working from home? Are you able to order supplies through a vendor? Items on the request list include disinfecting wipes (the most requested item); hand sanitizer; hand soap; paper towels; toilet paper; rubber gloves; bleach; disinfectant spray; non-contact thermometers; face masks (cloth is ok); and, alcohol wipes.

 

Organizers have surveyed child care providers and are tracking their supply requests. If you are able to donate supplies, please send them directly to the provider. In addition, please email Kate Leveille with your donation so we can adequately track supplies or if you have any questions. Thank you for any support you can offer. We are all in this together.

 

Mills Administration Extends Deadline for Certain Maine Estimated and Final Fiscal-Year Tax Payments to July 15, 2020

In a press release this afternoon, Governor Mills and Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa extended the deadline for second quarter estimated tax payments to July 15 to provide Maine taxpayers financial relief during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This new change is in addition to the State extending the payment deadline of state income tax payments from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. That change included any final and estimated Maine income tax payments due by April 15, 2020. Any failure-to-pay penalties and interest will be abated for the period of April 16, 2020, through July 15, 2020.

The extended payment due date includes second quarter estimated payments, originally due June 15, 2020, for the following Maine tax types: individual income tax, corporate income tax, franchise tax, and fiduciary income tax for estates and trusts. The extended payment due date also includes any estimated or final payments, originally due April 16, 2020, through June 15, 2020, for fiscal-year filers, for the taxes listed above. For qualifying taxpayers, any related penalties and interest will be abated for the period of April 16, 2020, through July 15, 2020.

 

To reserve your banner ad in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

Maine Delegation Champions Additional Federal Funding to Support State and Local Governments

85 percent of Maine's state revenues are from income and sales tax revenues, which have sharply decreased due to COVID-19. The State of Maine has received $1.25 billion in direct assistance so far through the CARES Act.

In a letter to President Donald Trump today highlighting the financial strain Maine's state and local governments are experiencing as a direct result of COVID-19, Maine's Congressional Delegation advocated for providing additional federal assistance to states and municipalities that have lost substantial revenue resulting from the current public health and economic crisis.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden expressed their strong support for legislation to provide financial relief to state and local governments and give governors the flexibility to distribute this funding to meet communities' needs.

Maine received $1.25 billion in direct assistance under the CARES Act; however, Maine's 487 municipalities were not eligible for direct assistance because the legislation prevented all but the largest U.S. cities from receiving direct money. Additionally, no Maine municipalities meet the county or city size threshold to be eligible for loans from Treasury's Municipal Liquidity Facility.

 

Maine Delegation Calls on VA Secretary to Prioritize Testing, PPE for Maine VA Health System

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden wrote yesterday to Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie, urging him to continue to prioritize providing additional testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) at the VA Maine Healthcare System and across the entire Veterans Health Administration. The VA faces particular risks to its patient population, as veterans using the VA health care system are often older. VA operates more than 100 Community Living Centers, which, like other nursing homes, are especially vulnerable.

 

"The staff and leadership at Togus in Maine are committed to serving their patients during this crisis, fulfilling their mission to care for our veterans with skill, compassion, readiness, and perseverance. However, like many hospitals in Maine, there is an ongoing shortage of COVID-19 testing capabilities and adequate PPE," wrote the Maine Delegation. "As you acquire and distribute more testing capability, we urge you to prioritize tests that provide extremely rapid results, in a matter of minutes or hours rather than days or weeks, and ensure that such tests are distributed to VA Maine and other VA facilities in need."

 

King, Bipartisan Senate Colleagues Urge Investment in Scientific Research Workforce

U.S. Senator Angus King and 32 of his Senate colleagues are making a bipartisan push to support America"s entire scientific research community during the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus-related research is currently a top federal government priority, but most other research has slowed or stopped due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research workforce - graduate students, postdocs, principal investigators, and technical support staff - face financial and other hardships from the disruption of their research activities that fund them, not to mention the absolute halting of their valuable scientific pursuits. The Senators are calling for $26 billion in emergency relief funding for the research community in the next coronavirus relief package.

 

"Research universities, academic medical centers, and national labs are major employers in all 50 states, and protecting the research workforce is critical to state economies," write the Senators in their letter to Senate leadership. "Congress must act to preserve our current scientific workforce and ensure that the U.S. is prepared to continue our global scientific leadership once this crisis ends."

 

"Maine's public universities have been on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 and its economic fallout" said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine, the only public research university in the state and a land, sea, and space grant institution. "While this disease has created great uncertainty for us all, we know for sure that the research and development at our nation's universities and laboratories is more important than ever not only in combating the coronavirus and enabling us to manage future public health outbreaks but inspiring the innovations necessary to rebuild our economy. The investments proposed by Senator King and his colleagues will restore our research enterprise more quickly - ensuring science doesn't slow down at the time when it is needed most."

 

Use The Maine State Chamber's Blog And Daily Impact to Tell Your Story!

Numerous Maine companies are 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 blog@mainechamber.org. For more information or questions, please contact Mark Ellis by emailing mellis@mainechamber.org or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 109.

Check out the second post on our "Meeting the Challenge" blog!

 

Gerry Queally, President & CEO of Spectrum Generations,
discusses "
Working With Partners To Serve The Community"

As a nonprofit operating in central Maine, we, like many others, are consistently challenged by our environment and how we can operate and provide services. But since 1972, that's what we've been doing - providing services for older and disabled adults, including Meals on Wheels. Challenges have come and gone, some still remain, like sufficient funding for Meals on Wheels that matches the need of those in our communities. Some have been alleviated for now, thanks to funding approved by the legislature to increase reimbursement rates for direct care workers, providing in-home care and supports to homebound adults.

 

All of this was before COVID-19; everything since has taught us lessons but also increased partnerships and support, ultimately allowing us to serve more people. Prior to COVID-19 we were serving approximately 800 people Meals on Wheels, both through our own commercial kitchens and through our partner subcontractors. As of May 4, we are serving 1,347 people - a 67% service increase. [Read more]

 

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Commits More Than $350,000 to COVID-19 Relief Efforts in Maine

Funding will help address food insecurity and COVID-19 emergency response efforts in the state

 

In a recent press release, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine and its philanthropic arm, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, announced new contributions to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, the South Portland Food Cupboard, the Boys & Girls Club of Bangor, and several other organizations to address food insecurity and emergency response efforts in Maine in the wake of COVID-19. The grants are part of a $352,000 commitment Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its Foundation have made in Maine to support the nonprofit organizations on the front lines of the pandemic.

 

Common Ground Fair Will be Held Virtually This Year Due to Coronavirus

The Bangor Daily News reported today that one of the state's largest agricultural fairs has joined the ranks of 2020 events canceled due to the new coronavirus. The Common Ground Country Fair, which was scheduled for Sept. 25-27, will instead be held virtually this year, according to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). The organization said it decided to make the move now to allow time for planning the change over to a virtual fair. Organizers expect to hold a fair again in 2021, when MOFGA celebrates its 50th anniversary.

 

 

To join these advertisers in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

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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 Jen Webber, (207) 939-0213
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • 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
  • Member Login