The latest edition of our Impact newsletter is now available!

Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | January 27, 2022

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ADVOCACY ALERT!   Encourage your legislators to oppose costly overtime legislation   On Wednesday, January 19, the Joint Standing Committee on Labor & Housing voted 8-5, along party lines, to report out LD 607, An Act To Restore Overtime Protections for Maine Workers, with an amendment that significantly increases the overtime payment salary threshold to the new rate of 4,500 times the minimum wage: Current Law:     3,000 times the minimum wage Proposed Law:   3,500 times in 2023; 4,000 times in 2024; 4,500 times in 2025   Read more...

Taxation committee votes to expand Maine Educational Opportunity Tax Credit to help more students pay off loan debt   On Wednesday, January 27, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation voted 11-0 “ought to pass as amended” on LD 798, An Act to Improve the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit. Sponsored by Sen. Matthew Pouliot (R-Kennebec), the bill as amended simplifies the current Educational Opportunity Tax Credit.   Read more...

Public Hearings of Interest   New Legislation of Interest Public hearings are open to everyone, despite the Statehouse’s continued “restricted access” status. Currently, 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 104 business-related bills have been tracked to date since the session began on January 5, 2022! View the list of Public Hearings for Jan. 31 through Feb. 11...   View the complete list of legislation we're watching for you...

From the Editorial Pages: Pre-K benefits everyone   EDITOR’S NOTE: Maine State Chamber board member, Brian Langley, owner of the Union River Lobster Pot Restaurant in Ellsworth, authored this Letter to the Editor, which appeared in the Ellsworth American on January 21, 2022.   I am excited to learn that RSU 24 will receive funds to begin its own public pre-kindergarten program. With this funding, a partnership in place with Downeast Community Partners to implement the programming and space for pre-K programs now available in the district’s elementary schools, more kids can receive early learning experiences, which set them up to succeed throughout school and in life. That’s good for our kids, our communities, and our economic future.   Read more...

If you missed our recent virtual events, you can watch the recordings on our website!

From the Governor's Office:   Governor Mills swears in William Harwood as Public Advocate   On January 26, Governor Janet Mills swore in William Harwood as Public Advocate for the State of Maine. Harwood, one of Maine’s most experienced energy and utility attorneys, was unanimously confirmed for the position by the Maine State Senate today. The Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology had also unanimously voted on January 11, 2022, to recommend his confirmation. Read more...

Learn about Versant Power’s meter replacement project   Versant Power is installing new metering equipment for all residential, small, and medium commercial customers. New meters will: Ensure all of our residential, small and medium commercial customers can access timely, detailed information about their electricity usage. Help Versant Power identify outages and power issues more quickly. Allow us to connect or disconnect your meter remotely. Read more...

Tune in for our next episode at noon on Tuesday, February 1, 2022      Join us for our next episode at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 10, 2022                   The Maine Take livestreams every Tuesday during the legislative session. On Tues., February 1, host Dana Connors will be joined by Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. For more information about The Maine Take, including sponsorship opportunities, please click "Learn more" below, or email Jen Webber at jwebber@mainechamber.org.   The Bottom Line podcast airs on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. To listen live or to the archived recordings, please visit The Bottom Line page on the Maine State Chamber’s website or on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, Spotify and radio.com. For more information about The Bottom Line, please contact Melanie Baillargeon by emailing melanieb@mainechamber.org. Learn more...      Learn more...

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