On May 18, Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, submitted the following testimony in support of LD 1710, An Act To Require Prompt and Effective Use of the Renewable Energy Resources of Northern Maine, to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. We are reprinting it here for your review and consideration. If you have any questions, please contact Ben Gilman by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 108, or by emailing bgilman@mainechamber.org.
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Maine State Chamber supports efforts to strengthen and grow Maine’s workforce as well as the ability of Maine employers to compete and succeed On May 13, Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, submitted the following testimony of in support of LD 1684, An Act To Strengthen Maine's Workforce by Expanding English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Programs, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. We are reprinting it here for your review and consideration. If you have any questions, please contact Ben Gilman by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 108, or by emailing bgilman@mainechamber.org.
On May 11, the Maine State Chamber submitted testimony in support of LD 1652, An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Early Childhood Educators Workforce. This bill offers a solution to Maine’s understaffed early childcare programs. The bill increases wages in the field to help with demand and retention. The bill also creates more pathways to early childcare careers and boosts the quality of early childcare providers by expanding early childhood education programs at career and technical education centers, increasing apprenticeships at childcare programs, and providing scholarships toward associate and bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education.
URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED TO BLOCK PASSAGE OF LD 553 On Friday, May 26, members of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing reconsidered their votes on LD 553, An Act to End At-Will Employment, a bill sponsored by Rep. Michael Sylvester (D-Portland). There now are TWO “ought to pass” recommendations coming out of the Labor committee:
Discipline or discharge would be “for cause” only In a stunning move, Democrats and the one independent on the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing approved a bill that would end decades of employment law in Maine and require “for cause” discipline or discharge in most Maine workplaces. Such a sweeping change will make Maine one of only two states in the nation to require such action.
In the past, the Maine State Chamber has been able to distribute the legislative posters at its statewide events, but due to the pandemic, that is not currently possible. This year, the Maine State Chamber is making them available for pickup at its office on 128 State Street in Augusta.
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