Impact_2021-04-22

The latest edition of our Impact newsletter is now available!

Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | April 22, 2021

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Outcome on minimum wage bills leave few surprises – except majority rejects increase to $16 an hour

With very little fanfare, the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing disposed of five minimum wage related bills at its work session on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. All of the bills had been heard in a public hearing earlier this month, and while each of the bills had seen considerable support from the business community and individual employers, there was in truth little chance the bills would see passage given the makeup of this legislature.

Taxation committee votes to carryover R&D credit bill

On Tuesday, April 20, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation voted unanimously to carryover LD 308, An Act to Promote Research and Development in the State by Increasing and Marketing the Research Expense Tax Credit. The Maine State Chamber testified in support of the bill, which would increase the research and expense tax credit by doubling the current amount of expenditures eligible for the credit from $25,000 to $50,000. Sponsored by Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook), the bill would also provide $100,000 in ongoing funds to the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) to help advertise and market the credit. If you have any questions about LD 308, please contact Linda Caprara by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 106, or by emailing lcaprara@mainechamber.org.

Maine State Chamber testifies in support of research and development bond

On Tuesday, April 20, the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs held a public hearing on LD 169, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Stimulate Investment in Innovation by Maine Businesses to Produce Nationally and Globally Competitive Products and Services, sponsored by Sen. Louis Luchini (D-Hancock).

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 250 business-related bills
have been tracked to date
since the session began
on January 6, 2021!

View the list of Public Hearings
for April 26 through May 7...

View the complete list of legislation
we're watching for you...

Maine DOE seeking to partner with business owners to highlight Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations

The Maine Department of Education is inviting Maine businesses to help celebrate Maine’s outstanding educators during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7, 2021). Celebrating our teachers is always important but given the heroic effort of our teachers to meet the needs of learners during the pandemic, Teacher Appreciation has moved to a whole new level this year.

If you can help celebrate teachers, please consider actions (social media posts, involvement in a local PTC, etc.) or offers you can extend (discounted services, complimentary meal, beverages, etc.) to teachers during the week of May 3. Maine DOE is collecting these offers by April 27 through an online form. Maine DOE will publish your business’ offer in its newsletter and on all of its social media channels.

Thank you for helping us #ThankAMaineTeacher during #TeacherAppreciationWeek! For questions, please contact Maine DOE Educator Excellence Coordinator Tamara Ranger at tamara.ranger@maine.gov.

Collins, King announce more than $380,000 to modernize Maine’s unemployment system amid COVID-19

On April 21, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Labor has been awarded a total of $382,579 to promote and enhance its Short Time Compensation (STC) program, known as WorkShare, which allows workers to receive a partial unemployment benefit payment while their employer reduces their hours to avoid layoffs.

To boost Maine’s seasonal businesses struggling from pandemic, King, Collins introduce legislation to provide additional PPP support

On April 19, U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced the Seasonal Business PPP Parity Act, legislation that would provide additional support for those seasonal small businesses that were unable to utilize further relief provided by the December 2020 law because their PPP loans had already been forgiven. The legislation modifies a provision in the Paycheck Protection Program to provide additional funds to some seasonal businesses that applied in the early days of the PPP, helping to equalize their treatment with that of other seasonal small businesses.

Mills administration updates COVID-19 prevention checklists   

On Friday, April 16, the Mills Administration today posted updates to the following COVID-19 Prevention Checklists: Retail , In-Home Services, Public & Community Buildings, Indoor/Outdoor Amusements, Gyms & Fitness Centers, Casinos, Personal Services, Performing Arts Venues, Museums, and Movie Theaters.

The updates maintain critical public health and safety guidelines consolidate and streamline language in previous checklists, and reflect the latest science to help mitigate the spread of the virus. The updates are part of the Moving Maine Forward Plan, a multi-month plan that aims to provide clarity and predictability for Maine people and businesses in advance of the summer months.

As part of this update, construction, golf courses, dog groomers, and car wash businesses, whom had previously been using business-specific checklists, are now advised to use the General Guidance Checklist. These updates are effective immediately.

The Department of Economic and Community Development, in partnership with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, will continue to review and update Maine’s COVID-19 Prevention Checklists to reflect progress in vaccinations, to reflect the latest science, and to further align the guidelines with Maine’s strategy to combat COVID-19.

Although vaccinations have begun, COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat and Maine people should continue to heed all health and safety protocols, including wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.

Following push led by Collins, King, and Pingree, DHS to issue additional H-2B visas that will support Maine’s tourism industry

On April 20, following a push led by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they will provide an additional 22,000 H-2B visas to help small businesses fill seasonal job openings for the upcoming season. These visas will supplement the previous supply of 33,000 H-2B visas for the second half of the current fiscal year, all of which have been claimed.

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 – were joined by State Economist Amanda Rector to discuss state economic and workforce trends through the pandemic and into economic recovery, as well as learning about the ongoing 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.

Listen to today's podcast here

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