The latest edition of our Impact newsletter is now available!
Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | Thursday, April 29
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Despite Maine's strict mining law, proposal seeks to ban the practice outright On April 26, 2021, Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, testified in opposition to LD 1163, An Act To Reduce Pollution by Prohibiting Metallic Mineral Mining, before the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. We are reprinting his testimony here for your review. If you have any questions, please contact Ben Gilman by calling (207) 838-7564 (mobile) or (207) 623-4568, ext. 108, or by emailing bgilman@mainechamber.org. Read more...
Creation of Maine Workforce, Research, Development, and Student Achievement Institute would increase access to accurate, current, and relevant data Informed decisions would eventually lead Maine's economy to rising wages, a growing labor force, and an infusion of new workers and employers looking to benefit from Maine’s opportunities On April 27, the Maine State Chamber provided testimony to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business (IDEA) on LD 1517, An Act To Establish the Maine Workforce, Research, Development, and Student Achievement Institute. The bill is sponsored by a co-chair of the committee, Sen. Glenn "Chip" Curry (D-Waldo). The purpose of the institute is to provide policymakers with relevant information regarding many economic factors, such as research and development, economic and workforce development, innovation, and student debt. Committee members expressed concerns and asked questions about the cost of the institute. The bill’s sponsor pointed out that the cost would be shared between the state and the organizations represented by the institute’s researchers. The sponsor also discussed how the IDEA committee weighs in on a lot of high-dollar legislation. This institute would provide legislators with the ability to make informed decisions and spend money more appropriately, increasing the overall effectiveness of the IDEA committee’s outcomes. Read more...
Governor Mills, lawmakers unveil bipartisan legislation to achieve universal availability of affordable broadband in Maine Legislation establishes groundbreaking Maine Connectivity Authority to spearhead use of incoming Federal broadband funds and to put Maine in driver’s seat in expanding access to affordable broadband Earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills unveiled legislation to establish the Maine Connectivity Authority, a new entity charged with achieving universal availability of high-speed broadband in Maine. The creation of the Authority comes as Maine is expected to receive as much as $129 million through the American Rescue Act Plan signed into law by President Biden last month that can be used for broadband expansion. The Maine Connectivity Authority, which would be established under bipartisan legislation (LD 1484) sponsored by Senator Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) and co-sponsored by Representative Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham) and the other Co-Chairs of the Legislature’s Broadband Caucus, would put Maine in the driver’s seat in expanding affordable broadband. Read the full release here | View a copy of the legislation here
Maine updates public health guidance on use of face coverings in outdoor public settings Governor Mills encourages Maine people to get vaccinated and to get outside to safely enjoy all that Maine has to offer Governor Janet Mills announced on Tuesday that Maine is updating its public health guidance to remove the requirement that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings. The change is effective immediately and relevant guidance documents will be updated in the coming days. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) recommends that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings where it is difficult to maintain physical distancing. Face coverings are still required for indoor public settings, and there are no changes to Maine’s physical distancing requirements at this time. The change follows updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the use of face coverings in outdoor settings. Despite having the oldest median age population in the country, Maine, adjusted for population, ranks fourth lowest among states in both the total number of COVID-19 cases and number of deaths from COVID-19, according to the U.S. CDC. Maine has administered more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and is currently second in the nation in the percent of its population that is fully vaccinated, according to the Bloomberg tracker. Additionally, according to Moody’s Analytics and CNN Business’s “Back to Normal Index,” Maine is best in New England in returning to pre-pandemic economic activity. Read the full release here...
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 265 business-related bills have been tracked to date since the session began on January 6, 2021! View the list of Public Hearings for May 3 through May 14... View the complete list of legislation we're watching for you...
Efficiency Maine completes first stage of statewide electric vehicle fast-charging network, continues expansion efforts On April 26, 2021, Efficiency Maine announced the completion of the first phase of an initiative to install a network of universal, publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the state of Maine. Using only funds from the settlement of a federal lawsuit against Volkswagen, this phase of the initiative developed high-speed EV chargers (also called “Level 3” chargers or “DC fast chargers”) on the Maine Turnpike at the Kennebunk plazas (northbound and southbound) and the West Gardiner plaza, as well as in Jackman, Skowhegan, Farmington, and North Windham. A high-speed charger typically can add 200 to 250 miles of range per hour. Read more...
ReEnergy and Ember Infrastructure to form bioenergy platform joint venture On April 28, 2021, ReEnergy Biomass Operations LLC and Ember Infrastructure announced plans to enter into a joint venture to create an industry-leading bioenergy platform. The company will be named ReGenerate Energy and will be led by experienced team members from ReEnergy and Ember. The new company will acquire an ownership interest in ReEnergy’s two biomass power plants in Maine – ReEnergy Stratton and ReEnergy Livermore Falls – and will look to expand the platform through the acquisition of additional bioenergy assets across North America. Read more...
To learn more or to register, please click on the links below. Age Friendly Maine, Connecting Across Generations Tuesday, May 4 | 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Details | Register MIT EN-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator   Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. to Noon Held Virtually on Zoom Details | Register A Historic Investment in Broadband Infrastructure with Senator Angus King Friday, May 21, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Details | Register 2021 Health Care Forum Wednesday, May 26, 2021 | 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Details | Register Bring ME up to Speed Series, Webinar 3 of 4: New England's Regional Perspective Wednesday, June 2, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Held Virtually on Zoom Details | Register
Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides direct funding awards to help small restaurants The U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to announce the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which is specifically designed to provide direct funding awards to help small restaurants get back on their feet. This fund features an easy-to-understand application. Additionally, the first 21 days of the program applications will be reserved for Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, and socially and economically disadvantaged small restaurants. The Maine District Office of the Small Business Administration will be hosting a few webinars in attempt to answer any questions you may have, so please register to attend any of the remaining sessions on Friday, April 30 at 10:00 a.m. or on Wednesday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m.  Additional information about the Restaurant Revitalization fund can be found at www.SBA.gov/restaurants, and you can always contact the Maine District Office at Maine_DO@sba.gov for more information. If you would like to view the Maine District Office’s most recent General COVID Relief Resources for Maine Small Businesses a recording is available online here. The program is open to eligible businesses involved in food service, so restaurants, cafes, caterers, tap rooms, bars, and many other small businesses who generate at least 33% of their revenue from food and drink sales for consumption on site.
Don’t miss The Maine Take with Dana Connors Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | Live-streaming at 12:00 p.m. Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week #ThankATeacher Host Dana Connors will welcome Maine Teacher of the Year Cindy Soule and Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd to celebrate and recognize the contributions of educators across Maine, especially their heroic efforts throughout the pandemic. 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. Watch The Maine Take with Dana Connors live on our website or on our YouTube channel. Missed last week’s episode? Click here for archived episodes. For more information on The Maine Take, please contact Jen Webber.
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