MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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Local Maine Communities Can’t Afford New Fees on Video Services​

State Bill No. LD920 will take control of video service fees away from cities and towns, hiking monthly payments for Mainers, hurting our most vulnerable families, seniors, and rural citizens.
As localities across Maine begin to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Mainers – especially those in rural communities, small business owners, seniors, and fixed- and low-income residents – still struggle to feed their families, access critical medical services, and stay connected.
 
But as we face these difficult times, lawmakers in Augusta are considering State Bill No. LD920, which would implement new video service fees, creating a mandatory five-percent assessment on cable and other video services through local franchise fees, and a second fee of up to $0.25 per month. More than 200 localities across the state either do not assess franchise fees, or assess them at lower rates, because they know these fees hurt their citizens. The second fee would be new for everyone.
State Bill No. LD920 would needlessly increase monthly expenses for Mainers across the state while undermining the ability of cities and towns to make decisions on behalf of their own residents.
​

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Auburn Mayor Levesque in the Bangor Daily News: 

“Cable Fee Legislation Would Strip Away Local Control, Increase Customer Costs.”

Letter from Town Leaders Opposing LD920


Local leaders are pushing back to protect their communities by adopting a resolution  opposing State Bill No. LD920.
Download and view resolutions signed by leaders from Clinton and Easton. 
Download the resolution for your own community here:
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Adobe PDF document
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MS Word document

​LD920 will disproportionately hurt Maine’s most vulnerable citizens, from seniors living on a fixed income to those who are still out of work due to the pandemic. Adding to Mainers’ monthly expenses with costly new fees will make recovery from a difficult year even more challenging.
LOCAL MAINE COMMUNITIES OPPOSE HIGHER, STATE-MANDATED VIDEO FEES.
TELL OUR LAWMAKERS TO VOTE “NO” ON State Bill No. LD920.

Copyright Maine State Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
 128 State Street | Suite 101 | Augusta, ME 04330-5630
 Phone: (207) 623-4568
For media inquiries, please contact Katie Clark (207) 233-2230
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Board
    • Local Chambers of Commerce
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Member Companies
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • Annual Meeting and Dinner
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Strictly Social
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Member Login