MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • 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
  • Member Login

President's Message: “Majority budget process could have lasting effects on remaining legislative outcomes…”

4/2/2021

0 Comments

 
On Tuesday, March 30, the Maine Legislature approved a new two-year, $8.3 billion state budget in a series of largely party-line votes. In the days and weeks leading up to this vote, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce considered the previous 20 years of budget negotiations and expressed the following concerns to legislators regarding the majority budget process prior to Tuesday’s session.
History has taught us an important lesson about the lasting impact of majority budget votes and the willingness of elected officials from differing parties to work together after such votes are cast. Debate and inclusion of different perspectives always have a better result than a singular perspective. Therefore, we encourage both sides to work together on a biennial budget that will garner the support of two-thirds of our elected officials. The result will help set a tone of bipartisanship for addressing all issues of importance to the state, as well as Maine’s business community, as we move forward into the special session.

Support for the upcoming supplemental budget, as well as the distribution of $1 billion provided to the state by the recent COVID-19 relief package, must not be jeopardized by a majority budget process. In addition, we cannot afford to jeopardize bipartisan support for other proposals, including bonding for projects that are critical to job growth and economic development.

The Maine State Chamber greatly appreciates the support from the federal government that has come to Maine to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and boost our state’s economy in this unprecedented time. We also recognize the need to quickly distribute these relief funds. We appreciate that Governor Janet Mills’ budget proposal does not increase taxes, especially with Maine businesses and people facing the continued economic fallout of the pandemic’s long-lasting and far-reaching impact.

Despite Tuesday’s outcome, the Maine State Chamber will continue to encourage our state legislators to take the time and effort to work together to pass bipartisan legislation. The importance of the budget process on the overarching legislative session cannot be understated or underestimated.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    RSS Feed

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 Jen Webber, (207) 939-0213
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • 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
  • Member Login