Educational & Legislative Information
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We try to provide you with a brief list of new bills each week that impact our members. Be sure to skim the Bills and information and if there is a bill that you have interest in, please let us know and we'll make sure to track those issues a bit more closely.
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January 25th
Join the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce and its members at this Meet The Reps event!
These events have been formed to enhance communication and relationships between business leaders and their local, state and federal elected officials.
This event will be held at T&B's Celebration Center, 414 Madison Avenue, Skowhegan. This event is Sponsored by
Allied Realty
.
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Business After Hours Event
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February 7th
Join the Skowhegan Area Chamber each month at our Business After Hours Events! These events are a great opportunity to mix and mingle with other business professionals and leaders in our communities. Hors d'oeuvres, and other beverages are available, as well as a 50/50 raffle and fabulous door prizes. Don't miss out on these great networking opportunities. No registration required, admission is free. Make sure to bring your business cards! Find more
here
.
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A Public Hearing is being held Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the following Bill:
LD 1757
: An Act To Protect Maine's Economy by Slowing the Rate at Which the State's Minimum Wage Will Increase and Establishing a Training and Youth Wage
We are looking for input to share on how the higher minimum wage is effecting your business. Also your thoughts on this bill. Please contact us below with you input by January 23rd.
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Maine Legislature Calendar
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The Legislative Week Ahead - From the Maine State Chamber
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The LCRED committee
will hear
LD 1757
on Wednesday, January 24, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 208 of the Cross Building. LD 1757 seeks to slow the rate of the minimum wage increase and to eliminate the indexing put in place by the referendum, set in place a training wage for employees ages 16-18 and a 90-day trial wage for those ages 18-20. The rate of $11/hour is set to take effect in 2019 and will be a breaking point for many small businesses.
In Education
, the committee will hold a public hearing on Rep. Herbig's concept draft (
LD 1698
) to promote innovation and growth in Maine's traditional industries. On Thursday, Education and LCRED will hold a joint work session to hear reports from the Task Force on Maine's 21st Century Economy & Workforce and the Computer Science Task Force.
In Taxation
, there is a work session on Thursday for Rep. Ward's bill (
LD 1565), An Act To Ensure the Effectiveness of Tax Increment Financing. The committee will also work on
LD 1479, An Act To Modernize and Improve Maine's Property Tax System (Rep. Stanley).
A new
episode of our Legislative Week Ahead
is now posted online. This video snapshot of our most critical legislative issues provides our members with a weekly video forecast of the wide variety of issues facing lawmakers in Augusta during the upcoming week. Our Advocacy team breaks down the issues and what they mean to your business.
New episodes are posted weekly during the legislative session. View the Legislative Week Ahead by clicking the link above, or see past videos by visiting the Legislative Week Ahead Archive online
here
.
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LD 660 Credit and Debit Card Surcharge Bill Back
Last year, RAM submitted
LD 660
, a bill to repeal the prohibition on a retailer advertising both a cash price and a credit price side by side. Maine is one of ten states that has this prohibition on the books and other states are also looking at repealing the law.
Additionally, there was a court case in New York State (Expressions Hair Design vs. Schneiderman) that challenged New York's prohibition, known as Section 518. Although the lower courts ruled in favor of the prohibition, the case went all the way to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously, in three separate opinions, that the lower courts should have viewed the case as a First Amendment issue. In other words, retailers have the right of free speech to advertise the pricing of their products as they see fit. The case was sent back down to the lower courts in New York State.
Does a merchant comply with New York's General Business Law Section 518 so long as the merchant posts the total dollars-and-cents price charged to credit card users?
The New York Court of Appeals has not yet addressed that question.
LD 660 was carried over from last year in the hopes that the court would have a final ruling so we are uncertain what the committee will do with it on Thursday this week.
Interestingly, we have noted that some area gas stations are advertising a "debit price" and "cash price" on their signs. If they can advertise that way, why can't other retailers who choose to reflect the added cost of accepting credit and debit cards?
Quick Updates and Look Ahead
Tax Increment Financing:
RAM had our first victory of the year. On Thursday, after discussion, the Taxation Committee voted unanimously to oppose
LD 1565
, a governor's bill that originally proposed to
remove retail from tax increment financing (TIF) projects
. The bill is now dead.
Product Stewardship:
Each year, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection issues a
report on the status of Maine's product stewardship programs
. The report is now public and open for public comment until February 6. One item of note, the report is recommending changes to Maine's e-waste laws to help get it more in line with other state's programs. The report also highlights some issues with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in their management of the mercury-added lamp (also known as CFL's) program. If you sell these products, it is probably worth your time to give the report a look and let us know if you have any questions.
$.05 Bottle Deposit:
On Wednesday, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee took public testimony on
LD 1703
, a bill to lower the $.15 deposit on spirits and wine bottles to $.05 like all other containers in the bottle deposit program. There seems to be some support from the committee to make this change, but they have tabled the bill until late March as there is a forthcoming report on Maine's bottle deposit program that may highlight some other changes in the program.
Implied Warranty Bill Scheduled:
LD 1772
, a concept draft bill that will examine Maine's Implied Warranty law is scheduled for public hearing on Tuesday, January 30th in the LCRED Committee. We've been hearing primarily from appliance retailers with some of the challenges they have been facing with this law and our hope is that the Attorney General will agree to convene a stakeholder group to examine the law and recommend changes.
Looking Ahead:
On Monday, the Criminal Justice Committee will revisit a bill,
LD 1202
, which would look either
seal or expunge certain criminal records
under certain circumstances. We've been working with the primary sponsor, Senator Amy Volk of Cumberland, on some compromise language.
Universal Family Care Bill Scheduled:
LD 1612
, a bill that would establish a universal family care program in Maine through
new income taxes on both employees and employers
will be heard on Wednesday, January 24th at 10 AM in the Health and Human Services Committee.
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A few additional bills to watch
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LD 1791:
An Act To Continue the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 6455, subsection 8. The bill removes the October 1, 2018 repeal of the section of law that establishes the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative and that sets the surcharges on various types of licenses to fund the collaborative. The bill continues through 2020 the surcharges that have been in place since 2016.
LD 1792
:
An Act To Improve Market Stability for Maine Residents Purchasing Individual Health Insurance Coverage
This bill directs the Board of Directors of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association, before proposing a revised plan of operation to resume operations before December 31, 2023, to study and propose a revised plan of operation that may include changes to current law as long as proposed changes are not made that increase the assessments set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 3957.
LD 1793
:
An Act To Ensure Propane Delivery during Emergencies
This bill allows a person who is not the owner of a liquefied petroleum gas container to fill or refill that container with propane during the period for which the Governor has issued an emergency declaration relating to heating fuel shortages, if the owner of the container authorizes that person to fill or refill the container. The bill does not require a person who is authorized by an owner to fill or refill a liquefied petroleum gas container to fill or refill that container. The bill provides a limitation of liability for the liquefied petroleum gas container owner and the person who fills or refills the container.
LD 1794
:
An Act To Allow the Efficient and Responsible Acquisition and Sale of Property by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services
This bill authorizes the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services to acquire real estate determined necessary to meet the needs of the State. It authorizes the sale or disposition of real property determined necessary to maximize financial return and to manage the long-term planning needs of the State. It requires that a current opinion of value by a real estate appraiser be obtained and that the purchase or sale price reflect the opinion and current market conditions when the State enters into a real estate transaction.
LD 1795
:
An Act To Amend the Maine Criminal Code and Related Statutes as Recommended by the Criminal Law Advisory Commission
This bill is emergency legislation. The bill makes the following corrections to the criminal and related laws and to the law on possession of more than 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana.
LD 1796
:
An Act To Improve the Effectiveness of the New Markets Capital Investment Credit
This bill implements the recommendation of the tax expenditure report of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation and the evaluation report of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability with regard to the new markets capital investment credit by excluding from the definition of "qualified low-income community investment" a capital or equity investment if more than 5% of the investment is used to refinance costs, expenses or investments incurred or paid by the qualified active low-income community business or a party related to the qualified active low-income community business prior to the date of the qualified low-income community investment; make equity distributions from the qualified active low-income community business to its owners; acquire an existing business or enterprise in the State; or pay transaction fees. This bill excludes from the tax credit investments that are used to cover payments referred to as "same-day loans."
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The Skowhegan Area Chamber advocacy program is working hard for you and we would like your feedback, please let us know if there are particularity bills that you would like us to focus on for your businesses and if you would like additional information on any of the bills we will do our best to get you the information. Please let us know
here.
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Maine Licenses Acceptable for Federal ID Purposes through October 10, 2018
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Maine’s Secretary of State wishes to remind all Maine residents that Maine driver’s licenses and ID cards are currently valid for federal purposes, such as air travel.
In October 2017, the
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) issued a one-year waiver for the State of Maine’s REAL ID Act compliance, which will allow federal agencies to continue to accept driver's licenses and identification cards from Maine through
October 10, 2018
. During this period, Maine driver’s licenses and IDs will be accepted as valid identification for federal purposes, such as entrance to federal facilities and boarding commercial aircraft.
The DHS is implementing the final phase of the REAL ID Act, a federal law passed in 2005 that seeks to improve the security standards for state-issued identification credentials. During the waiver period, the
Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles
will work toward implementing the systems and procedures that will enable BMV to issue Real ID-compliant licenses and IDs. The waiver can be renewed annually upon request through 2020, as long as the State can demonstrate efforts towards compliance. The State of Maine must begin to offer REAL ID-compliant licenses by July 1, 2019, per the new Maine law.
At that time, any person who desires a Real ID-compliant license or ID will be able to obtain one at their local BMV office. In addition to the
standard license requirements
, Real ID applicants must provide proof of legal presence, such as a birth certificate (a copy of which will remain on file with the BMV) and submit to a photograph using facial recognition technology.
Once REAL ID-compliant credentials are available in Maine, those who have a valid license or ID will not be required to renew it prior to its expiration date, unless they choose to do so because they desire/need a REAL ID-compliant credential. Upon renewal, the BMV will issue REAL ID-compliant credentials unless a person states that s/he would prefer to opt out. Those who opt out will be choosing a “non-compliant” license. Beginning in 2020, those who choose to have “non-compliant” licenses will need to produce a passport or another acceptable identity document for federal purposes that require identification, such as boarding commercial aircraft and accessing federal facilities.
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Free Snowmobile Weekend is January 26-28, 2018
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This winter, the State of Maine is participating in a special weekend to provide enhanced opportunity for snowmobilers.
On January 26-28, 2018, a nonresident (from another state or province) may operate a snowmobile in Maine (no reciprocity necessary) so long as he/she has a valid registration from his/her home state or province.
“With the increased traffic anticipated during the free snowmobile weekend, we remind all riders to obey laws of prudent operation, do not drink and drive, and be mindful that this is a family sport, so please keep our trails safe,” said Maine Warden Service Colonel Joel Wilkinson. “Pay extra close attention to ice conditions on all Maine waterways, especially when travelling at night, and ride with caution. We hope that enthusiasts participate in these great opportunities to discover Maine’s tremendous snowmobiling opportunity.”
Snowmobilers should stay on marked trails, ride at a reasonable speed, use hand signals, and ride to the right.
If you need to register your snowmobile in Maine, click
here
.
For information about snowmobile laws and rules in Maine, click
here
.
For Maine trail condition updates and trail maps, visit the Maine Snowmobile Association’s Web site
here
.
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Managing Stress as Part of Workplace Safety
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Workplace stress can create adverse physical and emotional reactions. To mitigate the effects, employees and employers must work together to help ensure negative stress is met with a positive response. Stress management should be an important element of maintaining a safe work environment.
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Maine Senate and House Office Links
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To connect with the Senate
Republican Office
on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
To connect with the Senate
Democrats Office
on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
To connect with the
any Senator
on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
To connect with the House
Republican Office
on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
To connect with the
House Democrats
Office on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
To connect with the
any Representative
on the Web, you can visit them
here
.
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US Senate and House Office Links
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To connect with
Senator Susan Collins
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
To connect with
Senator Angus King
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
To connect with any of the
US Senators
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
To connect with
Congressman Bruce Poliquin
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
To connect with
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
To connect with any of the
US House of
Representatives
on the Web, you can visit
here
.
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Does your business have news to share? Let us know, and we’ll promote it, just click below and email us the information
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Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce | (207) 474.3621 |
admin@skowheganareachamber.com |
www.skowheganchamber.com
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