News

Governor’s Statement on Bankruptcy Filing by Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway  

AUGUSTA – Late Wednesday afternoon the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) confirmed that the Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA) has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine. Governor Paul R. LePage released the following statement regarding the filing:

“Maine DOT will vigilantly and actively participate in the bankruptcy and in any related proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board to protect the public interests of the State of Maine and its citizens and the rights of shippers to receive service.  It is critical that shippers have accessibility to the rail lines, which provide great economic benefit to our State.

“The LePage Administration is committed to ensuring safe, continuous rail operations within the State of Maine for the benefit of shippers, the business community, and the citizens of the State of Maine.

“In addition, MaineDOT has and will continue to consult and work with the Federal Rail Administration in this situation

Governor LePage Congratulates Maine Wood Concepts for Creating Jobs Through Innovation

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage was on hand yesterday to congratulate Maine Wood Concepts of New Vineyard for being chosen by the Maine Wood Products Association as the 2013 Pine Tree Award winner. The honor is bestowed annually to Maine-based wood products manufacturers who have grown their businesses through innovation.

“Over the last six months this company has added more than 30 jobs and made significant capital investment to expand their product lines,” said Governor LePage. “It is critical that we improve Maine’s business climate to ensure businesses like Maine Wood Concepts can stay and expand in Maine, hire Maine people and grow their business and community.”

Maine Wood Concepts is the leading U.S. manufacturer of custom wood turnings, wood tool handles and custom molded wood parts. The company now employs 105 peopleundefinedsignificantly more than the 70 employed just over six months ago at the end of 2012.

The Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has worked with the company to qualify it for Maine’s Pine Tree Development Zone (PTDZ) incentive program, which provides up to 10 years of income and sales tax benefits to qualified companies. In 2012, the company earned PTDZ certification, projecting nearly $1.4 million in new investment and at least five new hires. Its hiring goals have already been exceeded.

DECD Director of Business Development & Innovation Brian Whitney also attended the award ceremony at the University of Maine at Farmington. “I was excited to join Doug Fletcher, president of Maine Wood Concepts, and his employees and friends for the well-deserved recognition by the members of the Maine Wood Products Association,” said Whitney. “Companies like Maine Wood Concepts are the lifeblood of Maine’s economy and deserve our gratitude for the jobs they create, the quality products they manufacture and the many contributions they make to Maine and its economy.”

Microbusinesses: More than 130,000 in Maine Helping to Boost Economy  

Governor LePage meets with micro-entrepreneurs to talk about opportunities and challenges facing Maine small business owners

AUGUSTA – Small businesses throughout Maine drive the economy and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to Maine people. More than 133,000 Maine businesses are microenterprises or businesses that have five or fewer employees. In an effort to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing these businesses, Governor Paul R. LePage met Tuesday with several microenterprise owners.  

Micro-entrepreneurs, which are part of every industry and are located in every Maine County provide 171,407 jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The bulk of those employees are in Cumberland and York Counties; however, microenterprises employ thousands of people in less populous counties across the state. For example, in Piscataquis County there are more than 2,000 microbusinesses which make up 25 percent of the county’s employed population. In Lincoln County nearly 40 percent of the population is employed by a business with 5 or fewer employees.

Governor LePage and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais met with several micro-entrepreneurs for about two hours Tuesday to discuss challenges facing these small business owners. Among the challenges: access to money for the start-up of the business and internet accessibility. Microenterprises require $35,000 or less in initial capital and do not typically have access to traditional commercial loans.

While nearly all of the State – 91 percent – has broadband internet access, the State continues to improve availability. The State has collaborated with The ConnectME Authority to expand broadband internet access to unserved and underserved areas and in planning expansion throughout Maine. ConnectME recently awarded 15 grants to expand broadband communications services to unserved areas of Maine. Recipients were awarded more than $1 million with total project costs of nearly $1.6 million, expanding services to more than 1000 households and businesses. 

“Microenterprises start small, but can grow into large businesses,” said Governor LePage. “We must be able to support these growing businesses because they are a critical driver of our economy. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Maine, and where jobs have been cut, people are creating new ones.”

Governor LePage noted while Maine’s median household income is less than the national average, studies show that micro-entrepreneur’s household incomes increase 78 percent in two years and 91 percent over five years.

Nicole Snow, a U.S. Air Force veteran, started Darn Good Yarn in the small town of Sebec in Piscataquis County. In early 2008, Nicole Snow decided to take two of her passions in lifeundefinedart and helping othersundefinedand combine them. The result was “Darn Good Yarn,” a yarn and fiber importer, wholesaler, and retailer.

“It is refreshing to see that Governor LePage understands how businesses work and what is needed to thrive in today’s economy,” said Snow, who visited with Governor LePage to discuss the importance of microbusinesses. “Sometimes we need to think outside the box in terms of what policies are needed to help Maine businesses, and today’s meeting was an indication that there are good things to come.”

Programs that support microenterprises offer aspiring entrepreneurs like Snow the opportunity to make their dreams become a reality. Programs such as Maine Small Business Development Centers (Maine SBDC) are working with entrepreneurs to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Maine.  

Mark Delisle, State Director Maine SBDC in Portland, said the State and private sector can work together to provide long-term economic stability to the state.

 

“With over 133,000 microenterprises, Maine is truly a small business state. We are excited about the opportunity to join Governor LePage in helping these entrepreneurs grow their businesses by providing the right resources, expertise and advice,” Delisle said.  

Governor LePage announces new Chief Legal Counsel

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today that Carlisle McLean has been promoted to Chief Legal Counsel. She has served as Governor LePage’s General Counsel since 2012 and Senior Natural Resources Policy Advisor since 2011.

“Carlie has been a valuable member of our staff, and I am confident that she will make an excellent chief legal counsel,” said Governor LePage. “She is skilled in a wide variety of areas, and she is an extremely competent and highly respected lawyer and policy advisor.”

Prior to joining the Office of the Governor, she practiced law with Preti Flaherty law firm from 2005 to 2011, where she handled matters ranging from permitting and compliance of energy and development permits to obtaining LURC rezoning and development permits. She also handled negotiations and settlements at Superfund Sites throughout New England and nationally.

Previously, McLean worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Policy, Trustees for Alaska, the New York State Office of Attorney General, the Pace Land Use Law Center and Freehills Law Firm in Sydney, Australia.

McLean will replace former chief legal counsel Michael Cianchette, an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve who is being deployed to Afghanistan.

This Week in Washington: USTR Visits Maine, House Passes Student Loan Legislation, and THUD Approps Fails to Advance

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an ongoing effort to keep folks at home informed of his work in the Senate, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) took a few minutes to discuss the events of this past week in the nation’s capital. In his weekly recap, Senator King addressed:

 

·        His visit to New Balance’s manufacturing facility in Norridgewock with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. “I wanted him to see the people, to see the factory, to see the work that they do, and to understand how important this facility is to Maine,” Senator King said.

 

·        The passage of the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act by the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator King said, “We think this is going to be a big plus for students. If you’re signing up for student loans sometime between now and early September, you’re going to find that the rates are about half of what they were just a few weeks ago.”

 

·        Executive branch nominations, judicial appointments, and the Transportation and Housing Appropriations bills. Senator King released a statement yesterday expressing his disappointment with the Senate’s failure to move forward with the Transportation and Housing appropriations legislation.

 

The full video of Senator King’s weekly recap can be viewed by clicking the image below. A broadcast-quality version of the video can also be downloaded by clicking here.

King, Cardin, and Crapo Team Up to Force CBO to Fully Count the Cost Savings of Preventative Healthcare

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) have joined together to introduce legislation that would direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including screenings. The Preventive Health Savings Act of 2013 (S. 1422) would also allow the Chairman or Ranking Member of the House or Senate Budget Committee, or the health committees – HELP, Finance, Ways and Means, or Energy and Commerce – to  request an analysis of preventive measures extending  beyond the existing 10-year window to two additional 10-year periods. Senators Cardin and Crapo are members of the Senate Finance Committee.

 

“The soaring costs of healthcare in this country are not only a heavy burden on thousands of American families, but are also the primary drivers of our federal debt and deficit,” Senator King said. “As a nation, we need to fundamentally rethink how we provide healthcare and this bill would mark the start of an important shift away from the traditional fee-for-service model by promoting the long-term economic benefits of preventative care. Rather than pay for procedures, we should invest in keeping our people healthy. It’s a winning combination for the American people and our economy.”

 

“Prevention, early detection through screenings like mammograms, and changes in behavior to reduce risks like quitting smoking, all lower healthcare costs by reducing the cost and severity of treatments. As a nation, we spend far more on the treatment of disease than we do on preventive health. But our neglect of prevention has been costly, overwhelming our healthcare budgets, particularly Medicare and Medicaid,” said Senator Cardin. “Re-evaluating our budget rules is not a new phenomenon. As our nation shifts its focus to more preventive healthcare, our budgets and accounting methods should shift too.”

 

“In order to solve our debt crisis, we must enact substantial entitlement reforms,” Senator Crapo said. “This bipartisan legislation is a simple fix that will allow CBO to capture the long-term savings that can be achieved through preventive health care, arming lawmakers with more accurate information when considering legislation to improve health care system.”

 

To ensure that CBO’s projections are tied to real scientific data, the Preventive Health Savings Act (S. 1422) would define preventive health as “an action designed to avoid future health care costs that is demonstrated by credible and publicly available epidemiological projection models, incorporating clinical trials or observational studies in humans, longitudinal studies, and meta-analysis.”  This narrow, responsible approach encourages a sensible review of health policy that Congress believes will promote public health, and it will make it easier for us to invest in proven methods of saving lives and money.

 

“Wellness and disease prevention are critical in attacking chronic disease and attaining a sustainable healthcare system.  We strongly support the Senators’ efforts to ensure that arbitrary budget scoring rules don’t stand in the way of creative, effective initiatives to protect Americans’ health,” said Mary R. Grealy, President, Healthcare Leadership Council.

 

The Healthcare Leadership Council is part of a broad coalition of groups that have endorsed this approach to calculating the real cost savings of preventive care. Others include: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; Allscripts; America’s Essential Hospitals; American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; American Association of Diabetes Educators; American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; American College of Preventive Medicine; American Diabetes Association; Ascension Health; BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; Care Continuum Alliance; Council for Affordable Health Coverage; Health Dialog; Healthways; IHRSA: International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association; Ikaria, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; Marshfield Clinic; MemorialCare Health System; Mental Health America; National Business Coalition on Health; National Retail Federation; Novo Nordisk; Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease; Sanofi; The Endocrine Society; and Weight Watchers.

 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four health risk behaviorsundefinedlack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumptionundefinedare responsible for much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases. By addressing just these four behaviors, we can alter the trajectory of chronic disease and the health costs associated with them.

 

·        More than one-third of all adults do not meet recommendations for aerobic physical activity based on the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and 23% report no leisure-time physical activity at all in the preceding month.

 

·        In 2007, less than 22% of high school students and only 24% of adults reported eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

 

·        More than 43 million American adults (approximately 1 in 5) smoke. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and cigarette smoking causes almost all cases. Compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer and women who smoke are about 13 times more likely. Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% in women. Smoking also causes cancer of the voicebox, mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and causes acute myeloid leukemia.

 

·        Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to over 54 different diseases and injuries, including cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast, liver diseases, and other cardiovascular, neurological, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal health problems. 

We Can Only Move Maine Forward If We Work Together

While the media was sensationalizing the number of bills I vetoed, I was busy signing 341 bills into law, as well as 28 resolves. I allowed another 177 bills to go into law unsigned. There are many new laws on the books. And, more importantly, there are fixes to many bad laws.

Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage.

Although I signed hundreds of bills, we need to keep working to lower taxes, reduce heating costs, decrease electricity rates and reform welfare. And there are a couple of issues I need to explain in more detail.

For instance, you may have heard of the so-called “Internet sales tax.”  This is not a new tax.  In fact, few Mainers realize that you are legally required to pay this tax every year on your annual tax return.

That’s right.  Under the current law, you are supposed to add up all of your online purchases, report it and pay the tax. This system hurts the local Maine businesses that employ your neighbors and provide you with the goods and services you need.

When you shop online, you don’t see this cost in the purchase price. However, you do see it when you go to the local store. That is unfair.

It creates an advantage for big, out-of-state companies that hurt local businesses and local jobs. Complying with this tax is basically a clerical issue. It will level the playing field between online giants and local retailers. I do not favor new taxes, and I did not support a new tax.

Then there are two bills that I vetoed for technical purposes. But I am not done working on them.

The first is the so-called “drone” bill.  I am 100 percent in favor of protecting our privacy and keeping our freedoms. In fact, this is a hallmark of our administration. However, the bill went too far and would create unnecessary litigation.

That’s why I will sign an Executive Order to establish guidelines that regulate the use of drones.

I am committed to protecting Mainers from unlawful searches and protecting our freedoms. I will be talking with experts this summer to make this bill as good as it can be.

Finally, there is the so-called “raw milk” bill.  I do believe Mainers should be able to sell and buy food products that they choose to consume. However, there was a minor problem with this bill. 

Specifically, I believe that the consumer should have the freedom to examine a farm before the milk is purchased. By selling it at the farm, a consumer can see the operation and make an informed choice. Nothing is hidden.

Therefore, I am going to introduce a new “raw milk” bill in January to do just that.  I believe Mainers should have the right to buy this milk within full view of the farm where it was produced. Arming a consumer with information is power.

There were other large issues this session. The Democrats delayed and tried to stop my efforts to pay back the hospitals. But they came back to the table and agreed with my plan to pay this half-a-billion-dollar welfare debt I inherited.

After all the debate, it was a breakthrough for bipartisanship in the Capitol. I appreciate their willingness to support common-sense governance. 

My signing and allowing 518 bills to become law, as well as the Democrats joining me in my effort to pay our hospitals back, is an indication we can workundefinedand need to workundefinedtogether in the future. We can only move Maine forward if we work together.

King Praises House Passage of Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King today praised the passage of the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act by the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator King, along with Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Richard Burr (R-NC), Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) crafted the bipartisan compromise and led the fight for its passage in the Senate. The bill is a permanent-fix that lowers student loan interest rates for all students. It will now head to the President’s desk for his signature.

 

“I’m both encouraged and pleased that the House passed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act so that we can finally provide our students and their families with the financial certainty they need to plan for the costs of higher education.

 

“In a divided government, the only way to pass meaningful legislation and accomplish the business of the nation is to find common ground and compromise. That’s just what we did in the Senate and I believe that effort helped to lay the groundwork for the bill’s acceptance in the House. As the legislation heads to the President for his signature, Congress must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to address the serious issues confronting the country.”

Governor Responds: Balancing Economic Prosperity and Environmental Protection is Possible  

AUGUSTA – The Office of the Governor has released the following letter from Governor Paul R. LePage to Senate President Justin Alfond and House Speaker Mark Eves. The letter details inaccurate information Democrats have distributed regarding the LePage Administration’s ongoing efforts to protect Maine’s environment.

As stated in the letter, the Administration has been in continuous contact with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency regarding standards for ozone, and in fact, these changes are similar to those undertaken by former Governors King and Baldacci.

“There was no outcry when the past two governors made similar changes, and they were not accused of leading a ‘race to the bottom’,” stated Governor LePage.

The Governor said the rhetoric from Alfond and Eves implies that balancing economic prosperity and environmental protection is an “either/or” choice.

“For me and my administration, it is ‘both/and’,” Governor LePage said. “We will continue to both protect our environment and grow our economy.”

View the letter here.

Senators King & Blunt Introduce Legislation to Review and Streamline Regulations and Stimulate Economic Growth

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) today introduced the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2013, a bill that would create a Regulatory Improvement Commission to review outdated regulations with the goal of modifying, consolidating, or repealing regulations in order to reduce compliance costs, encourage growth and innovation, and improve competitiveness.

 

“Business owners and entrepreneurs in Maine regularly tell me that the single greatest obstacle to their economic growth continues to be overly-burdensome regulations, but as thousands of more rules are promulgated every year, Congress isn’t taking any serious steps to address the mountain of regulations that already exist,” Senator King said. “Our legislation would move that process forward by establishing an independent commission to identify and review outdated rules so that Congress can begin to deliver regulatory relief to our nation’s job creators.”

 

“Missourians and job creators nationwide are burdened with too many confusing, inefficient, and duplicative government regulations that continue to stifle economic growth,” Senator Blunt said. “Americans need more economic certainty, and this bill is a step in the right direction to streamline regulatory burdens and help job creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators grow and hire more people.”

 

The Regulatory Improvement Act of 2013 employs a balanced approach to evaluating existing regulations – one that involves identifying regulations that are not essential to broad priorities like the environment, public health, and safety, but instead are outdated, duplicative, or inefficient. The goal of the Commission is to complement existing processes and to create a mechanism that acts expeditiously and incorporates wide stakeholder input.

 

Members of the bipartisan Commission will be appointed by Congressional leadership and the President, and the Commission will be tasked with first identifying a single sector or area of regulations for consideration. Upon an extensive review process, involving broad input from the general public and stakeholders, the Commission will submit to Congress a report containing regulations in need or streamlining, consolidation, or repeal.

 

Both Houses of Congress will then consider the Commission’s report under expedited legislative procedures, which allow relevant Congressional Committees to review the Commission’s report but not amend the recommendations. The bill will then be placed on the calendar of each house for a straight up-or-down vote.

 

For additional information on the bill, click here.