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The COVID-19 Edition for Monday, July 13, 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!

 

 

July 14: Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!

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 public advocate: Vote "Yes" on 1 to Invest in Better Broadband for Rural Maine

 

In a special op-ed to the Portland Press Herald, Barry Hobbins, the Public Advocate of Maine and former chair of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee during his 25 years of service as a state senator and state representative, noted that "we need to think big and get the policy right." On July 14, Maine voters can approve $15 million for badly needed rural broadband expansion through a bond issue. Voting "yes" is a step in the right direction, though far more needs to be done to extend broadband across Maine, which state officials estimate will cost $150 million to $450 million. Maine's rural broadband challenge requires a much larger effort, leveraging state and federal funds, plus private investment, to wire our far-flung communities.

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

 

As COVID-19 Slows Down Bus & Passenger Ferry Industry, Collins & Reed Introduce Bill to Help Save Jobs

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected America's bus, motorcoach, and passenger ferry industries, which serve as an important link in our nation's transportation network that employs more than 100,000 individuals in Maine and throughout the country. To help overcome these obstacles, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act of 2020, a bipartisan bill that would provide $10 billion in emergency economic relief funding, in the form of grants (no less than 50 percent of total funding) and other economic assistance. The funding would be distributed through the U.S. Department of the Treasury to motorcoach operators, school bus companies, U.S. flag passenger vessel operators, and other U.S. transportation service providers designated by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation.

 

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

 

Golden, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Hold China Accountable, Protect Americans During COVID-19

Congressman Jared Golden and a group of 13 members of Congress have introduced new legislation requiring the U.S. government to identify, analyze, and combat efforts by the Chinese government to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preventing China from Exploiting COVID-19 Act would mandate that the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) investigate the ways in which the Chinese government intends to seize on the COVID-19 pandemic to promote its interests on the national stage, evaluate risks to the United States, and provide policymakers with the information they need to address and counter Chinese actions when necessary. The DNI would report their findings to Congress.

 

 

Collins, King Join Bipartisan Group in Introducing Bill to Bolster Semiconductor Manufacturing in U.S.

Legislation would support microchip manufacturers like ON Semiconductor and Texas Instruments in South Portland that employ hundreds of Mainers

Last week, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing the American Foundries Act of 2020, a bill that supports the production and development of microelectronics in the United States. The Senators aim to include the bill as an amendment in this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

 

"Semiconductors are not only essential to keeping our country on the cutting edge of technology, but are also vital to maintaining our national security," said Senator Collins. "This industry supports hundreds of good-paying, high-tech manufacturing jobs at two factories in South Portland. Although the U.S. semiconductor industry has been an international leader for decades, aggressive incentives by foreign governments and unfair business practices have eroded America's dominance in this crucial sector. The targeted investments provided in our bill would help spur the research and development necessary to keep U.S. semiconductor companies at the forefront of the industry."

 

"America's technological prowess is a key source of economic innovation, and a vital building block of our national security - we cannot and must not undercut either by outsourcing the manufacturing of semiconductors," said Senator King. "We need to be investing in these capabilities, to ensure that we are able to remain leaders in the world of microelectronics and to support good, high-paying jobs in communities across the country."

 

Collins, King Announce More than $200,000 to Jackson Lab for Drug Addiction Research

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has received $212,500 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for substance use disorder research. This funding has been awarded through HHS' National Institute on Drug Abuse.

 

"The important work being done at Jackson Lab is making great strides to conquer drug use and addiction disorders that affect far too many families in Maine," said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. "We welcome this continued investment to help support Jackson Lab's efforts to understand, prevent, and treat substance use and protect our communities."

 

"Time is of the essence with addiction, and support like this is crucial to advancing much-needed research," said LuAnn Ballesteros, vice president, external and government affairs, The Jackson Laboratory. "We're very grateful for the support of Senators Collins and King and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is an important step in propelling our work forward to help Mainers, and people around the world impacted by addiction."

 

Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory are leading efforts to advance our understanding of the genetic factors involved in individuals' vulnerability to substance use disorders. They use mouse models to investigate the genetics underlying the differences in addictive behaviors. Their work has identified genetic variants associated with addiction susceptibilities, providing vital insight into the biological basis for why some humans are at high risk for addiction. In 2019, overdoses claimed the life of more than one Mainer per day, making this one of the top causes of death in the state. Nationally, there were more than 67,000 drug overdose deaths in 2018.

 

New Report Analyzes Combined Economic Contribution of Maine Colleges and Universities

Maine's 38 colleges and universities generate a total annual economic contribution - including the spending of students and visitors, and multiplier effects - of an estimated $4.5 billion in output, 31,267 full- and part-time jobs, and $1.7 billion in labor income, according to a recent report by researchers in the University of Maine School of Economics, and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. The report, "Economic Contribution of Colleges and Universities in Maine," was produced by research associate Megan Bailey, assistant professor Andrew Crawley, and professor Todd Gabe. In it, the researchers analyze the collective statewide economic contribution of the public and private colleges and universities in Maine that educate 72,605 students, employ a combined 14,621 non-student workers and generate about $2.2 billion in annual revenue.

 

Hear how Maine's Business Leaders Dealt with 'The Day that Changed Everything'

Shedding light on an all-too-familiar challenge, Mainebiz on Monday launched a series of podcasts in which top business leaders recount how they've adapted to major change - sometimes overnight. "The Day that Changed Everything" premiered this morning with an episode featuring Kevin Hancock, CEO of Hancock Lumber Co., interviewed by Mainebiz Publisher Donna Brassard.

 

In the 30-minute episode, Kevin Hancock discussed what happens when the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company finds he, literally, has no voice. In 2010, Hancock was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, an incurable neurological condition that causes spasms in the vocal cords and is made worse by stress. Hancock worried whether the condition would prevent him from continuing as the leader of his sixth-generation, family-owned business. A decade later, it's clear he has succeeded.

 

A new installment of "The Day That Changed Everything" goes live every two weeks, featuring other Maine business leaders who found their life, their business or their world upended. In discussions with Mainebiz staff, these CEOs and senior executives reveal how they responded, and how upheaval can ultimately lead to unexpected success.

 

 

To advertise in the COVID-19 Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

Thank you for
doing your part!

 

 

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 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