The latest edition of our Impact newsletter is now available! |
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Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | April 8, 2021 | |||||||
View this edition online | View an archived edition online | ||||||
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LD 920 proposes to raise taxes and fees on critical business services On Tuesday, April 6, Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, delivered testimony before the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology in opposition to LD 920, An Act to Promote Oversight of and Competitive Parity among Video Service Providers. |
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Taxation committee tables Seed Capital Tax Credit program On Wednesday, April 7, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation tabled LD 229, An Act to Increase Investment Caps in the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit Program. There are projects that will bring potential jobs and investment waiting for the outcome on this bill. |
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Pine Tree Development Zone bill tabled in IDEA committee On Tuesday, April 6, the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business (IDEA) held a work session on LD 730, An Act to Protect Economic Competitiveness in Maine by Extending the End Date for Pine Tree Development Zone (PTDZ) Benefits. In her March 23 testimony strongly supporting LD 730, Linda Caprara, senior government relations specialist for the Maine State Chamber, thanked Sen. Matthea Daughtry (D-Cumberland) for sponsoring this important bill. |
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Relief plans for licensed childcare and early education providers reviewed In the past week, the Right from the Start Coalition (RFTS) discussed the current operating conditions of Maine’s childcare providers. While 96% of currently licensed childcare and early education providers are open, they are struggling to meet demands due to limited capacity and long wait lists. Of the 300 respondents in a recent survey, 25% have indicated that permanent closure within the next six months is a real threat. |
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USA Today: ‘People are only going to pay so much for a pizza’ Peter Gore, executive vice president for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce was quoted in a recent article in USA Today. His quote is excerpted below, but we encourage you to read the full article here.
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Sen. David Woodsome: It’s time to update career and technical education in Maine The Bangor Daily News published this Opinion piece by Sen. David Woodsome of District 33. Sen. Woodsome serves on the Legislature’s committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and taught and coached in Maine schools for 35 years. |
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Mills Administration updates COVID-19 Prevention Checklists Administration will continue to review and revise guidelines to reflect progress on vaccinations and align with Maine’s strategy to combat COVID-19 Earlier this week, the Mills Administration posted updates to the following COVID-19 Prevention Checklists: Large Gatherings/Ticketed Events; Organized Racing Events; Town Meetings; and Transportation. The update also establish a Private Events COVID-19 Checklist. |
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Deadline approaching for SBA working capital loans in Maine for Secretary of Agriculture’s disaster declaration The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations that May 4, 2021 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans due to drought that began on July 7, 2020. |
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UMaine presents Maine Impact Week starting Monday, April 12 The University of Maine will be showcasing its research to the public next week. For the second year in a row, Maine Impact Week will be held virtually for the public to learn about projects members of the UMaine community have been working on and the contributions they are making to society. Ali Abedi, UMaine’s associate vice president for research, said there are various sessions throughout the week, including competitions, awards, student research presentations and keynote speakers. He said this is an opportunity for people to connect with and learn from each other. “The public can talk to the students, talk to the faculty, see what are the results of research here, how they can impact their lives, and also communicate the problems that we might consider for future research,” Abedi said. Sessions will be held on Zoom daily from April 12 to 16. Anyone interested in attending can register on umaine.edu/impactweek. |
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