The latest edition of our Impact newsletter is now available!
Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | April 15, 2021
View this edition online	View an archived edition online
Labor committee’s work session tackles employment-at-will legislation The Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing took action on two bills and tabled another at their work session on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Read more...
Upcoming Public Hearings Legislation of Interest Public hearings are open to everyone, despite the Statehouse’s restricted access status during the pandemic. Typically, the committee’s meeting room is listed below, but during the pandemic, Maine State Chamber members should plan to watch and listen to legislative committees by using one of the Legislature’s YouTube channels. The Legislature also released these guides for participation in public hearings and work sessions, and you will need to register to submit testimony if you plan to testify on a particular bill. Also, this public hearing schedule is subject to changes and updates; we advise that you check the committee’s calendar or contact the committee clerk. Each committee name listed below is linked to the corresponding committee page. Each week, Maine Chamber staff studies each of the recently printed bills to assess potential impact on business trends. We are sharing those bills of concern with you here. If you have concerns regarding any bill, please communicate those concerns to a member of our advocacy team by calling (207) 623-4568.   A total of 245 business-related bills have been tracked to date since the session began on January 6, 2021! View the list of Public Hearings for April 19 through April 30... View the complete list of legislation we're watching for you...
Taxation committee considers proposal to tax Maine’s second homeowners to pay for affordable housing On Wed., April 14, Linda Caprara provided the Maine State Chamber’s testimony in opposition to LD 1337, An Act to Increase Affordable Housing and Reduce Property Taxes through an Impact Fee on Vacant Residences. We are reprinting it here for your consideration. If you would like more information on this issue, please contact Linda Caprara by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 106, or by emailing lcaprara@mainechamber.org. Read more...
To learn more or to register, please click on the event links below. Broadband Expansion in Maine: Bring ME Up To Speed Series Webinar 3: New England’s Regional Perspective Sponsored by Mission Broadband Tuesday, April 27 | 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Register Here | More Information Age Friendly Maine, Connecting Across Generations Tuesday, May 4 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Register Here | More Information
LD 1188 offers opportunities to previously excluded CTE students and teachers This past week, the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs heard testimony on several bills. The Maine State Chamber delivered testimony in support of LD 1188, An Act To Include Librarians and Career and Technical Education Teachers in the Minimum $40,000 Salary Initiative. The Maine State Chamber supports this bill because it stands behind legislation that can assist in closing our state’s workforce gaps. This bill will help close workforce gaps in the specific area of trade and technical occupations. LD 1188 capitalizes on the positive correlation between teacher salaries and student performance. Read more...
Don’t miss The Maine Take with Dana Connors Tuesday, April 20 Live-streaming at 12:00 p.m. The Bottom Line podcast explores Maine’s recent Revenue Forecasting reports   Thursday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. Combating Climate Change in Maine On Tuesday, April 20 at noon, The Maine Take host Dana Connors welcomes special guests for discussions on Maine’s green economy and its workforce needs and goals, and the Maine Climate Council’s four-year climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in Maine by 2045. Also on Tuesday, Mainebiz will share headline business news and viewers will hear from the Maine State Chamber’s Advocacy Team on top legislative and policy issues. Read more... New day and time! The Maine Take is now live-streaming on Tuesdays at noon. Airing live at 10:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, The Bottom Line podcast features a wide variety of guests and presents interviews relevant to public policy priorities both in state and nationally, to economic recovery efforts of the pandemic, and to other significant issues of interest to Maine’s business community. On April 22, The Bottom Line podcast’s co-hosts – Dana Connors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting – will be joined by State Economist Amanda Rector for a discussion of state economic and workforce trends as Mainers work through the pandemic and into economic recovery. We’ll also hear more about the work of the Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission and the Revenue Forecasting Committee. To listen to the archived podcasts any time, please visit The Bottom Line page on the Maine State Chamber’s website or your favorite podcast app. Read more...
Maine State Chamber expresses concerns to congressional delegation regarding tariffs on steel imports On Tuesday, April 13, the Maine State Chamber and several members and partners sent the following letter to Maine’s Congressional Delegation – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, U.S. Senator Angus S. King Jr., U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and U.S. Representative Jared Golden. We are reprinting it here for your information. If you would like more information on this issue, please contact Linda Caprara by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 106, or by emailing lcaprara@mainechamber.org. Read more...
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.