MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The COVID-19 Edition for Thursday, July 9, 2020

To view this edition of Impact online, click here.

 

 

Welcome to your COVID-19 Impact newsletter!

As a valued member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, we plan to stay in touch with you several times each week 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 Department of Labor Surpasses $1 Billion in Benefits Paid During Pandemic

For the week ending July 4, the Maine Department of Labor recorded about 2,800 initial claims filed for state unemployment insurance and 2,300 initial claims filed for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). About 62,600 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment. In addition, about 24,700 weekly certifications were filed under PUA. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits.

 

Between March 15 and July 4, the Maine Department of Labor has paid out about $1.03 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits. By comparison, the Department paid out nearly $73.9 million in unemployment benefits in 2019. From March 15 to July 4 period, the Department has handled approximately 168,000 initial claims for the state unemployment program and 77,000 initial claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. There have been about 1.6 million weekly certifications filed.

 

Claims data is preliminary and subject to revision. The official unemployment rate and accompanying economic data for June will be released on July 17, which will give a clearer picture of the state's economy.

 

VOTE! Maine's Primary Election is July 14

Your Vote Strengthens Maine's Economy!

Before each election, the Secretary of State's office provides information about the questions appearing on each ballot. Currently two referendum questions will appear on the July 14, 2020, Special Referendum Election Ballot. Each question is discussed in detail in the Maine Citizen's Guide to the Referendum Election (PDF / Word) and a Treasurer's Statement, which includes the referendum questions; the legislation each question represents; a summary of the intent and content of the legislation; an explanation of the significance of a "yes" or "no" vote; an analysis of the debt service on the bond issues; and, an estimate of the fiscal impact of each referendum question on state revenues, appropriations and allocations.

Question 1: Bond Issue

 

"Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue to invest in high-speed internet infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas, to be used to match up to $30,000,000 in federal, private, local or other funds?"

Question 2: Bond Issue

 

"Do you favor a $105,000,000 bond issue for improvement of highways and bridges statewide and for multimodal facilities or equipment related to transit, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, ports, harbors, marine transportation and active transportation projects, to be used to match an estimated $275,000,000 in federal and other funds?"

Maine DOT Commissioner: Vote "Yes" on Question 2 for Jobs, Transportation Projects

 

In a special column to the Portland Press Herald, Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, noted that there has never been a more important transportation bond vote in Maine than the one to be decided this Tuesday. Unlike past years, approval of this bond is needed to support projects that are ready to go to construction this year. If the bond does not pass, MaineDOT will have no choice but to cut projects that have continued to support hundreds of good-paying construction jobs at a time when Maine needs them most.

A YES vote on Questions 1 and 2 - expanding broadband and
investing in transportation improvements - will help us get there!

 

 

To Fight COVID-19, Governor Mills Strengthens Enforcement of Face Covering Requirement as Maine Reopens

In line with nearly every other state in the nation, Governor Mills also renews Maine's State of Civil Emergency for another 30 days

 

On Wed., July 8, Governor Janet Mills issued an Executive Order requiring large retail businesses, restaurants, outdoor bars, tasting rooms, and lodging establishments in Maine's more populous cities and coastal counties to enforce the State's face covering requirement. The Executive Order comes as Maine continues to reopen its economy and welcome visitors from other states. Scientific evidence demonstrates that wearing a face covering can significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19, helping protect the health and safety of Maine people.

 

Wednesday's Executive Order strengthens that by mandating businesses require face coverings in retail stores with more than 50,000 square feet of shopping space, restaurants, outdoor bars or tasting rooms, and lodging establishments. It applies to businesses in the coastal counties of Hancock, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Cumberland, and York, as well as in the cities of Bangor, Brewer, Lewiston, Auburn, and Augusta. The Executive Order focuses on these areas given the congregation of people in Maine's larger cities as well as the influx of tourists in destinations along Maine's coast. Under the Order, municipalities may enforce the use of face coverings on streets and sidewalks, in parks and other public spaces where individuals are not able to maintain at least six feet of physical distance.

 

The Pandemic Drove Maine Businesses to E-Commerce. Will They Stay There?

An article in today's Mainebiz noted that, as the Maine economy spiraled into a major downturn, some businesses navigated their way into new or expanded e-commerce strategies and a broader digital presence overall. Rich Brooks of flyte new media and Cameron DeLeone of Common Wealth Poultry Co. discussed e-commerce strategies during the pandemic in a webinar Wednesday moderated by Opus Consulting Group's Andrew Wood.

 

With the pandemic, Brooks said, more companies have invested in more-robust websites that cater to consumers online rather than face-to-face interactions. "We're seeing that across different industries," he added. Wood said certain retail sectors have doubled sales through e-channels.

 

A number of clients, Brooks added, are looking for ways to add more functionality and visibility to their platforms. In tandem, consumers are getting trained into behaviors to use e-commerce options - and that could stick around long after the pandemic, he said. For example, he said, consumers are becoming comfortable with options like delivery from smaller stores, while previously many had viewed delivery as a service coming from retail giants like Amazon.

 

Understanding Communications:
Messages That Connect
During Covid Times

 

Tuesday, July 14, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

 

Register here

In this webinar, we will discuss how messages and marketing need to change in order to successfully connect with target audiences. We'll look at how brain chemistry influences decision making and simple but effective ways to communicate.

 

Hosted by: Maine State Chamber of Commerce | Presented by: Paula Mahony, President & Chief Strategist, Words@Work

 

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.

 

New Rules Will Delay and Prohibit Asylum Seekers from Joining the Workforce

The Trump administration has finalized two new regulations to dramatically diminish asylum seekers' ability to work during the years it takes for their cases to run through a backlogged immigration system. On June 26, 2020, the administration released a final rule requiring asylum seekers to wait a full year, rather than the current 150 days, after filing their asylum applications before they can apply for a work permit. In addition, asylum seekers who cross or try to cross the border without authorization after the new rule's effective date of August 25, 2020, will be completely ineligible to ever get a work permit  (with extremely limited exceptions), despite the fact that receiving a decision from the immigration courts can routinely take years. Comments are needed by midnight on July 15, 2020, to oppose proposed regulations that would all but gut long-standing U.S. asylum law.

 

Maine has more than 6,000 asylum seekers who are our neighbors, friends, college students, coworkers, caregivers, essential workers, and who pay taxes and contribute to keeping our population, our communities, and our workforce vibrant. Virtually all of these individuals would likely lose their cases and have to leave the U.S., even if the facts of their cases merit asylum under current law, if these proposed rule changes were to take effect.

 

Comments can be submitted to oppose the rule and asking that it be withdrawn in its entirety through this comment portal. The deadline for comments is midnight on July 15, 2020. Talking points and more information can be found online here.

 

Maine State Chamber of Commerce Recommends Withdrawal of the Proposed Rule to Delay and Prohibit Asylum-Seekers from Entering the Workforce

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce recently submitted its comments recommending the withdrawal of a proposed rule to delay and prohibit asylum-seekers from entering the workforce. As our economy rebounds, Maine businesses will need assurances that they can meet all their workforce needs. To that end, it is crucial that they have access to talent both from Maine and other states, as well as from around the world. Policies that would, for example, impose wide-ranging bans on the entry of non-immigrant workers or impose burdensome new regulatory requirements would threaten businesses access to that talent, and hinder the economic growth and creating of jobs in Maine. No matter what sector, from health care to forestry to seafood processing, workforce shortages are a major problem. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic it is expected that Maine will not have enough available workers to drive our economy's growth. There's only one solution, and that's to make it easier for immigrants to work in this country long term, not make this more difficult. The proposed rule unfairly moves the goalposts for gaining asylum for those who already are in the middle of the process.

 

Thursday, July 9 | The Bottom Line Podcast

with Mark McInerney of the Center for Workforce Research and Information

Mark McInerney, director of the Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI) at the Maine Department of Labor, was this week's special guest on The Bottom Line podcast. He joined The Bottom Line co-hosts Dana Connors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting to discuss the work of the CWRI during the COVID-19 pandemic as it provides state and area labor market information to employers, job seekers, and others.

 

To listen to the recording of today's show, please visit The Bottom Line page on the Maine State Chamber's website. In addition, The Bottom Line podcast can be heard on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, Spotify and radio.com.

 

Immigration Rules Could Force Some of Maine's International College Students to Leave U.S.

A recent Portland Press Herald article reported that Bowdoin College could be hit particularly hard by new immigration rules, which prohibit international students from staying here if all of their classes are taken online. Federal immigration rules released Monday have added to confusion of fall reopening plans for international students, who are now being told by the government they cannot stay in the United States if their course loads are fully online. The rules from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, or ICE, state that international students enrolled only in online programs will not be granted visas and must depart the country or transfer to a school with in-person instruction to maintain their legal status.

 

Collins, King Urge Administration to Reverse Course, Allow International Students to Remain in America to Learn

U.S. Senator Susan Collins is calling for immediate reversal of student visa rule that will cause long-lasting harm to U.S. colleges and universities. In response to new guidance issued earlier this week declaring that international students must take in-person classes to remain in the United States legally, Senator Collins urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately rescind this unfair and unrealistic policy. The guidance jeopardizes the education of nearly one million international students and affects hundreds of institutions of higher education, including Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, and the UMaine system. In her letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Senator Collins called for the extension of the exemption adopted on March 13 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the end of the upcoming school year. The ICE exemption allowed international students with F-1 visas to attend classes online while retaining their visa status.

 

Similarly, U.S. Senator Angus King also released a letter he sent to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf after the Trump Administration announced it would end temporary exemptions that have permitted non-immigrant college students who utilize F-1 and M-1 visas to remain in the country even if their school has shifted to online learning. The decision by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) adds yet another challenge to schools across the country who are already seeking the best path forward while considering the continued spread of the coronavirus across the nation, to now worrying about students who may face deportation at schools where learning will be completely online. In his letter, Senator King urges Acting Secretary Wolf to consider the extension of waivers during the fall semester, in order to allow schools to make decisions that best fit their unique circumstances and support public health and safety.

 

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 [email protected]. For more information or questions, please contact Mark Ellis by emailing [email protected] or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 109.

 

MaineSpark Grants Offer Innovative Post-Secondary Opportunities to Students Post-Pandemic

In their recent contribution to the Bangor Daily News, Wendy Ault and Jason Judd announced the recipients of four $5,000 MaineSpark grants totaling $20,000 to innovative initiatives promoting postsecondary success for underrepresented student populations. Recipients are Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange, Project Launch, Rural Aspirations, and the University of Maine at Machias. These awardees have initiated programs to help connect students' aspirations with making postsecondary education a reality for them. The programs they have launched to achieve this goal focus on increasing parent involvement in college and career readiness, and supporting school counseling innovation, including projects that increase the effectiveness of school counselors and school counseling teams to address barriers to underserved populations. They also focus on increasing business engagement in college and career readiness through internships, mentorship programs, career days, and more.

 

Providing Books to Maine Students

Maine educators were recently surveyed about critical needs of their students. Books were highlighted as a top priority for students of all ages. Supporting reading is essential for students to continue to thrive in schools. Making certain that our students, particularly our youngest readers, have easy access to books during the end of the school year and throughout the summer is crucial for preventing summer slide.

 

Even with yeoman-like efforts by Maine teachers and a hands-on approach from the Maine Department of Education to ensure all Maine students have been able to continue learning remotely during the pandemic, we know that learning over these past few months has inevitably been disrupted. In addition to the school year disruption, student achievement often widens during the summer, an outcome referred to as summer slide. Summer slide accounts for as much as 85 percent of the reading achievement gap between lower income students and their middle- and upper-income peers. Providing students with appropriate books will help address this challenge. Not only does summer reading enable students to continue practicing foundational skills, but it opens the world to students through stories and knowledge building around topics of interest. We need your help to ensure students across our 16 counties have access to books, an essential commodity.

 

Here are a few ways you can support Maine students:

 

1 2020 Maine Books Challenge: Educate Maine is leading this initiative to provide students with books while supporting local bookstores. You can purchase an online or physical gift card at one of Maine's independent bookstores. Every $10 donation provides a book for a Maine student. Every donation will be matched by the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein up to $5,000. Teachers across Maine will help coordinate book distribution to students. If interested in supporting this effort, please email Katherine at [email protected].

 

2 Scholastic Books: This company has offered significant discounts to help get books to Maine students. For example, a $1,000 donation can support 300 books for 100 students. A $5,000 donation can support 1,500 books for 500 students. If interested in supporting this effort, please email Megan Diver at [email protected].

 

3 Community Book Donations: Gently used books are also needed across Maine. We are seeking community drop off spots at local employers throughout the 16 counties. If your business is interested in becoming a location for books to be collected, please email Megan Diver at [email protected].

 

Books will be distributed to students directly through their schools and at local meal sites throughout the summer. Additional information about summer literacy initiatives can be found here. Thank you for supporting Maine students.

 

Maine Credit Union Launches Program to Pay Farm Closing Costs

A recent story from the Associated Press / Maine Public noted that Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union cofounder Scott Budde announced a new program on Tuesday. The Conservation Grant Program will pay closing costs for purchasing or refinancing farmland in the state. The program would help borrowers to take advantage of low interest rates by reimbursing them up to $3,500 per loan. Budde said the program would incentivize farmers interested in buying land.

 

Don't Miss the Final Legislative Summary 2020!

 

The outbreak of the pandemic sent many parts of "normal" life into a tailspin. The legislative session was no exception. Now that the dust is settling a bit, our team has assembled our annual Legislative Final Summary. We are pleased to present it to you here. The Final Summary represents months of work by our team. Inside, you will find legislation that made its way through the process and legislation whose progress was cut short by the pandemic.

 

We share your anxiety in coping with all the unknowns in our personal and professional lives. However, the Maine State Chamber is open for business. Whether we are working from the office or remotely, we are here to help you face the challenges ahead. Our team is up to the task and remains committed to being the "Voice of Maine Business" in Augusta, now more than ever.

 

 

To advertise in the COVID-19 Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
[email protected], or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

Thank you for
doing your part!

 

 

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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 Katie Clark (207) 233-2230
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
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    • Find Your Legislator >
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  • 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
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    • MERI Roll Call
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