Senate Democrats prioritize workers and small business while working onhealth and economic recovery

Submitted by Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)

Over the past 11 months, Maine workers and small businesses have shown tremendous resilience in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic. Restaurants and retail establishments have had to adopt new business models overnight just to keep their doors open. Small businesses across every industry have had to implement new COVID-19 health and safety protocols to keep their workers and customers safe. But throughout this uncertainty, Maine’s small businesses have continued to step up for our communities, from manufacturing personal protective equipment like American Roots in Westbrook to feeding Maine seniors like Big Rick’s Burgers & Wings in Madawaska.

    Now, as we look to rebuild our communities and economy, we have a responsibility to look out for small businesses. With more people getting vaccinated every day, Mainers are counting on us, their elected officials, to bring us closer toward health and economic recovery. It’s why our priorities this session must reflect the needs of Maine families, workers and small businesses, and our policies must provide a way for everyone to rebuild their lives. We can start by targeting much-needed relief for workers and small businesses.
    I’ve heard from a lot of folks about tax conformity proposals before the Legislature. I’m not interested in making it more difficult for small businesses to rebound. I’m working with my colleagues to come up with a smart, responsible tax conformity proposal that gets most Maine businesses the relief they need.

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Legislators’ emails and profiles can be viewed online at https://legislature.maine.gov.

Contact the Senate President’s Office
3 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002
(207) 287-1500

Contact the House Democrats’ Office
3 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002
Phone: (207) 287-1515

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    I’ve always believed that we owe it to the people we represent to support small businesses and good-paying jobs that generate economic activity in our own backyards. This is especially true when we spend taxpayer dollars on critical goods and services for the state. It’s why I’ve introduced “Buy American, Hire Maine” legislation, which would require the state to look to Maine small businesses and Maine people to get a job done before looking across the country. I also believe in targeted tax credits that foster job creation and economic development in rural parts of the state. We know from experience that they work, whether it’s the new Penobscot McCrum Facility in Washburn or the expansion that allowed IDEXX in Westbrook to meet the moment throughout this pandemic.
    Finally, we can leverage our agriculture industry and working waterfronts to feed Mainers in need. Purchasing local foods for our schools and food banks can generate greater demand for food producers and fishermen and grow their bottom-line. To me, these policies are about showing the same support for Maine workers and businesses that they show our communities, whether it’s stepping up during a pandemic or sponsoring a little league team.
    Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced our state to confront a whole slate of new, unprecedented issues, it has also made clear that Maine can’t afford to wait any longer when it comes to high-speed, reliable internet. We have long past the point where access to good internet service is a luxury; it’s now a necessity. Last year, we passed a $15 million broadband bond, after a similar proposal was blocked in 2019, but that was only a small step forward. We should’ve never gotten to the point where farmers are waiting until midnight to file invoices because that’s the only time when there is bandwidth to do so. Nor should kids have to park outside school libraries just so they can submit job or college applications and can rest assured the documents will go through. Despite the economic fallout from this pandemic, Maine’s bond rating remains good. Now is a good time to invest in our infrastructure through bonding.
    Finally, much of our work this session will focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s clear that the recovery of our state’s health and economy are linked. It’s why Speaker Ryan Fecteau and I kicked off the legislative session with the COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights to ensure all workers and their families have what they need to stay safe. By making sure people can access testing and vaccinations at no cost, we can bring our state closer to a point where concert venues can reopen, restaurants and bars can operate at full capacity, and people can be together again and support our local economy.