U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the State of Maine has received a total of $6,678,216 in the third installment of funding to support affordable housing, assistance to businesses and bolster COVID-19 prevention and response efforts throughout the state. This funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was allocated through a section of the CARES Act that Senator Collins co-authored directing $48.5 billion to support housing and transportation programs.…

In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Senator Susan Collins led a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the USDA to provide financial assistance to American loggers and log haulers who have been experiencing serious financial strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

Sen. Susan Collins: “Loggers and log haulers are critical to America’s forest products industry – which is a top-10 manufacturing industry in 45 U.S. states.  Our nation’s loggers and haulers harvest and transport the raw material that supports over $283 billion in value-added wood and paper products – with a supply chain that includes nearly one million Americans earning over $54 billion in combined payroll,”
…

In a letter sent to the President Tuesday (PDF), the governors highlighted the longstanding bilateral trade relationship between New England and Canada, which was strengthened by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that went into effect this summer. About half of all trade for Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine companies is conducted with Canada.…

Last week’s U.S.-China trade deal does not specify the amount of China’s investment for industry; U.S. lobster exports to China have dropped dramatically as result of ongoing trade war…

Full Transcript:

Gov. Mills 2020 State of the State Address

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Governor Janet Mills’ State of the State Address
January 21, 2020

Readiness, Resilience

I: Introduction

President Jackson, Speaker Gideon, Chief Justice Saufley, distinguished
members of the 129 th Legislature and honored guests, I am here tonight
to continue the story of our state — to talk about the progress we have
made, the challenges we face, and the strength and resilience of the
people of Maine.

To you, the people of Maine — those watching in homes, businesses and
shops across the state — you who are working the second shift, you who
are putting the little ones to bed and making sure they have clean clothes
and a lunch for tomorrow –

You work hard, you get the job done — and you expect nothing less
from all of us. You have entrusted us to put aside our differences and
come together to do what’s right:

• To protect your health care and to make it more affordable.
• To create new jobs and expand opportunity.
• To take care of each other, to welcome new Mainers home and to
ensure that our people are safe, happy and have the chance for
success.
• And you are counting on us to take action — now — on the
climate crisis that threatens our very way of life.

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We have made progress. And we have done so without rancor or
bitterness.

Together, we enacted a visionary paid leave law, workers compensation
reform and important gun safety legislation.

Together, we restored the Maine Indian State Tribal Commission and
empowered it to become a forum for substantive communication,
problem solving, and dispute resolution. Critical work that I remain
committed to.

We successfully negotiated seven collective bargaining agreements in
timely fashion that provided cost-of-living raises, first-time parental
leave and a long overdue wage study.

And so much more.

Our state is strong. Our state is resilient. Our state is ready.

This year, we celebrate Maine’s 200th year as a state.

After we separated ourselves from Massachusetts and embarked on
creating our own destiny, we, Maine people, learned to be self-reliant
and, at the same time, to rely on each other.

We carved our character and our living out of Maine’s forests, hills and
tablelands, its fields, shores, and mighty rivers.

Using two-man saws and their own strength, Maine lumbermen
withstood our coldest months to fell our tallest trees.…

Governor reflects on bipartisan successes of past year, challenges ahead, and goals for the future, including improving health care, strengthening the economy, and fighting climate change.

Gov. Janet Mills State of the State 2020 – Read Full Transcript HERE  or HERE or Download Full Transcript Here

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U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians have received $245,000 to purchase snow removal equipment, including a loader and snow plow, to maintain the safety of their roads in Aroostook County during inclement weather.…

Governor Janet Mills welcomed back the Legislature today for the Second Regular Session. In a statement, the Governor said she looks forward to working with members of both parties to improve health care, strengthen the economy, and fight climate change.…