Economic Development

I have introduced several bills this session that will help to grow Maine’s economy, including legislation to:

• Create competitive grant programs for sustainable economic development and carbon reduction initiatives at the municipal level;
• Bond for an international passenger customs facility at the Portland International Jetport and cargo customs facility upgrades at the Bangor International Airport that will generate tourism and economic growth during the months and years following the pandemic;
• Bond for a convention center for the greater Portland area to compete for conferences and conventions;
• Study tax incentives for residential sprinklers that will make this life-saving investment more affordable for homeowners and create trade jobs;
• Reestablish and reinvent the Maine State Planning Office to assist municipal governments, regional authorities, and economic development corporations with implementing the state’s 10-year economic development plan; 

In addition to my work on these bills, I am proud to serve on the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement (IDEA) and Business in the Maine Legislature. The IDEA Committee oversees:

• business regulation, including automobile and fuel sales;
• retail pricing;
• franchising;
• advertising;
• real estate practices;
• professional and occupational licensing;
• consumer protection;
• Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), including student assistance programs at Finance Authority of Maine;
• economic development;
• economic planning and development agencies;
• venture capital and trade programs;
• opportunity zones;
• import competition;
• product marketing;
• research and development;
• technology commercialization;
• technology transfers;
• tourism; and,
• defense facility conversion.

Our Committee is playing an important role in finding solutions to the economic challenges facing our businesses and families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.