This week, I’ll discuss my visit to Cianbro, an op-ed I co-authored with Speaker Eves, and my bill to help revitalize Maine’s downtowns.

Visit to Cianbro

As the President of the Senate, I have the honor of visiting many great companies and places in the state. Last week, I had the opportunity to go back to central Maine, where I grew up, and visit Cianbro in Pittsfield. Cianbro is a large contracting firm with over 4,000 employees throughout the country, and it’s headquartered right here in Maine. I met with Peter Vigue, Cianbro’s CEO, and we talked about weatherization and energy policy, food sustainability, transportation and research & development.

Budget Op-Ed

On Monday, Speaker Eves and I co-authored an op-ed about crafting the biennial budget, and the need for cooperation and compromise in negotiations. Some in the legislature have threatened to shutdown state government before budget negotiations have even begun. The Speaker and I believe that any threat of shutting down state government services should not be taken lightly. A state shutdown puts jobs at risk, it puts our economy at risk, it jeopardizes our bond rating, and it sends fear rippling through our communities that depend on state dollars for our schools, our public safety and our public health.

Bills Submitted

Every two years, legislators submit bills to make changes in current law. Over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting some of my bills this session.

Today, I’m going to talk about LR 1463, “An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Revitalize Maine’s Downtown through Innovative Business Development and the Creative Economy.”

If you live in Portland, I don’t need to tell you how important our vibrant downtown is to our economy, or how it enriches our community. There are some communities in Maine, however, whose downtowns and Main Streets are struggling. This bill creates a Downtown Revitalization Fund, which will administer grants and loans to communities for innovative businesses, light manufacturing, trades and small businesses, and space for artists. Initially seeded with a $10M bond, all grants and loans issued will need to be matched with $1 in private funds for every $2 granted or loaned.

I believe this will be a great way for communities to kick-start growth in their downtowns and help build small businesses.