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Weekly edition of IMPACT, a publication of the Maine State Chamber | February 24, 2022

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ADVOCACY ALERT!   Contact your legislator today and urge them to reject LD 1129, An Act Relating to the Valuation of Improved Real Property   Formerly known as the “dark stores” bill, LD 1129, An Act Relating to the Valuation of Improved Real Property, was amended in the Taxation committee, the title was changed and the language broadened to include all improved real property in Maine.   Read more... Taxation committee tables tax haven legislation awaiting amendment   The Joint Standing Committee on Taxation voted to table LD 428, An Act to Prevent Tax Haven Abuse, at the request of the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Denise Teppler (D-Topsham). Rep. Teppler addressed the committee, asking for a week or so delay in working the bill until she finalizes the amendment with “interested parties.”   Read more...     Taxation committee tables the bill to increase the research and expense tax credit until OPEGA report is released   On Thursday, February 24, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation voted to table LD 308, An Act to Promote Research and Development in the State by Increasing and Marketing the Research Expense Tax Credit, sponsored by Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook). The committee tabled the bill until the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) releases the tax expenditure report on the Research and Development Tax Credit and presents it to the Government Oversight committee meeting on Friday, March 11.   Read more...   Exploring Workforce Solutions   Tuesday, March 8, 2022 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EST   Click here or on the event image to register and learn more.     ENR committee moves forward with LD 1911 despite flawed committee process   A few weeks ago, the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) committee moved forward with an “ought to pass as amended” vote on LD 1911, An Act To Prevent the Further Contamination of the Soils and Waters of the State with So-called Forever Chemicals. This bill was first introduced by Rep. Bill Pluecker (I-Warren), but an amendment was introduced by Sen. Stacey Brenner (D-Cumberland), which made major changes and replaced the bill.   Read more...   Dana Connors: Keeping commitments is as important for government as it is for business     Solid waste policy is extremely dynamic, regional, and essential for Maine people and municipalities. The Lewiston facility has been an essential part of the region’s complex solid waste management system, assisting the state of Maine and the larger New England region in their ambitious efforts to meet recycling goals. That work must continue.   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 111 business-related bills have been tracked to date since the session began on January 5, 2022!       View the list of Public Hearings for Feb. 28 through March 11...   View the complete list of legislation we're watching for you...   Educate Maine releases annual “Education Indicators” report   Educate Maine recently released its ninth annual “Education Indicators for Maine” report. The yearly report examines Maine’s education system in-depth, using indicators to measure access, participation, and performance of Maine students from early childhood through postsecondary education. The report provides data on what is working well and where investments in Maine’s education system are needed to ensure that every Maine person reaches their highest educational potential.   Read more...   Letter to the Editor - The County: Ryan Rogers, Dead River Company: Pre-K partnership is great news   I was pleased to read about a new partnership between Aroostook County Action Program and Limestone Community School to expand full-day pre-kindergarten. This is great news for families in the region, as well as area employers and our economy.   Read more...   From the Headlines:   Leonard Minsky, Bangor businessman and philanthropist, dies at age 94   Leonard Minsky, the former president of Superior Paper Products in Bangor whose philanthropic endeavors in the Bangor region supported health care, education, literacy and the arts, died on Monday. He was a founding director of Merrill Merchants Bank of Bangor, and of Network Services Company of Schaumburg, Illinois, where he also served as chair of the board. He was also the former chair of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.    Read more...     Join us for our next episode at noon on Tuesday, March 1   Tune in for our next episode at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 10 Be sure to watch The Maine Take streaming every Tuesday at noon during the legislative session. For more information about The Maine Take, including sponsorship opportunities, please visit our website or contact Jen Webber.   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.     From the Newsrooms:   “Another Broken Promise” by China – King, Pingree, Golden Urge U.S. Trade Rep to Hold Nation Accountable for Failing to Honor Commitment to Maine Lobster Industry   On February 18, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) called on the Biden administration to hold China accountable for breaking promises to the Maine lobster industry and provide much needed transparency on a 2020 trade deal – in the wake of a disclosure that China has failed to hold up its side of the deal with the United States. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai, the lawmakers express their serious concern that China failed to live up to their $200 billion import promise made through the 2020 Economic and Trade Agreement, asked the USTR to disclose the total dollar value of lobster that China agreed to purchase, and called on the Administration to take steps that will ensure China begins to fulfill their agreements. This letter comes after the lawmakers urged former USTR Lightizer in 2020 to share the undisclosed details on China’s lobster purchase commitment in the deal.   To read more, please visit the Congressional Newsrooms by clicking on their names above.   From the Newsroom:   Maine Delegation, Governor Mills Urge Biden Administration to Extend FEMA Cost Share Measures   On February 18, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and Maine Governor Janet Mills urged the Biden Administration to extend federal cost share measures amid the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, which are set to expire on April 1, 2022. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides a 100 percent Federal cost share for eligible COVID-19 emergency response measures to help reimburse the City of Portland for providing non-congregate housing for vulnerable communities, including asylum seekers.   To read more, please visit the Congressional or Gubernatorial Newsrooms by clicking on their names above. From the Newsrooms:   Collins, Sinema Introduce Bill to Help Asylum Seekers Obtain Jobs More Quickly   In a bipartisan effort to allow asylum seekers find employment more quickly and become self-sufficient, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced legislation last week to shorten the waiting period before asylum seekers are allowed to receive work authorizations.  The bill was co-sponsored by Senator Angus King (I-ME). Also, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) reintroduced on February 10 her Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act, legislation that reduces the current 365-day waiting period for work authorization eligibility to 30 days, allowing an asylum seeker to apply for authorization as soon as the asylum claim is filed. The bill makes no changes to law or regulation relating to the asylum process. This could have an impact on new asylum seekers in Maine—allowing them to gain work, be self-sufficient through the process of establishing roots in their new community and contribute to our economy.   To read more, please visit the Congressional Newsrooms by clicking on their names above.   From the Newsrooms:   Maine, Mississippi Delegations Urge Strong Support for Arleigh Burke Destroyers in 2023 Navy Budget   On February 22, lawmakers from the Maine - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden - and Mississippi congressional delegations urged Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to include funding for three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the Biden administration’s FY2023 budget for the U.S. Navy.   To read more, please visit the Congressional Newsrooms by clicking on their names above.   From the Newsrooms:   Efforts Underway to Ensure Proper Implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as a Tool to Fight Inflation, Strengthen Small Businesses & Labor   With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law beginning to fund infrastructure projects around the country, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) chaired a congressional hearing last week to discuss the landmark infrastructure investment’s importance as a tool to drive down inflation and to strengthen small businesses and workers in Maine.   U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a group of 29 Senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) December 16, 2021, memorandum, “Policy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America.” In the letter, the senators request that Secretary Buttigieg direct FHWA to rescind or substantially revise the memorandum to ensure the agency intends proper implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) as enacted.   To read more, please visit the Congressional Newsrooms by clicking on their names above. From the Newsrooms:   Maine Delegation Urges USDA to Implement Northeast Dairy Task Force Recommendations   In a recent letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree urged Secretary Tom Vilsack to respond to the recommendations of the Northeast Dairy Task Force as quickly as possible.   To read more, please visit the Congressional Newsrooms by clicking on their names above.

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