Blog - Local / Community News Items and Commentary

We are pleased to report that more than 200 people have registered for the 2021 NAS Brunswick Reunion to date and we are looking forward to hosting a great event during the weekend of 17 – 19 September.  Here are some important updates that we want to pass:
 

• Admiral William F. “Bill” Moran, USN (Retired) - a former VP-44 “Golden Pelican” and 39^th Vice Chief of Naval Operations - is confirmed as the guest speaker for the Lobster Bake Banquet on Saturday night

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY
AND URGE THEM TO OPPOSE LD 1708!

LD 1708, An Act To Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit Utility, To Deliver Lower Rates, Reliability and Local Control for Maine Energy Independence, would force a $13.5 billion state takeover of Central Maine Power (CMP) and Versant Power and create a government electric utility run by a board of elected politicians.

Call your legislator today and urge them to oppose LD 1708
and stop the rush to government-controlled power.

LD 1708 would create an unprecedented government takeover of the state’s two largest property taxpayers that will raise electric rates for decades to come.

Passage of LD 920 will have a chilling effect on broadband expansion in Maine

As amended, LD 920, An Act To Promote Oversight of and Competitive Parity among Video Service Providers, would make video service providers and streaming services delivered over the internet a “public utility,” subject to the multitude of regulations that currently cover gas, electric, and water companies. Passage would result in a sea-change in Maine law and add costly new fees to cable customers’ monthly bills, making recovery from a difficult year even more challenging. What’s worse, this preemptive fee could make Maine vulnerable to costly litigation, further burdening taxpayers. And that’s not all - the bill discriminates against providers of streaming services that are investing in critical broadband infrastructure for the state of Maine. 

DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS, MAINE EMPLOYERS PAID MORE THAN $1.36 BILLION INTO THE UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST FUND, AVERAGING $136 MILLION A YEAR. YOU DESERVE A VOICE!

Maine employers do not object to discussions about potential changes to the Maine unemployment insurance system. We do however object to being shut out and to our interests being dismissed. Legislation under consideration (LD 1564 was amended to include elements of LD 1571), would:

• Increase the cost of unemployment insurance paid by employers;
• Outsource some traditional Maine Department of Labor functions to private advocacy groups; and,
• Offer little help to employers – in fact, postponed were proposals to make the UI program more effective in getting unemployed workers back to earning paychecks and to make work-share more beneficial to employees and employers.

MEREDA needs your help!   We need you to contact your local legislators and tell them to vote NO on LD’s 1143, 1255, and 1296.   These three bills deal with landlord-tenant law, and specifically termination of tenancy at will (1143) and eviction proceedings during states of emergency (1255, 1296). These bills were supported by a majority of the members of the Judiciary Committee, and if we don’t take action now, they could become law within the next couple of weeks.

LD 498 punishes the hard work and success of Maine families and threatens Maine jobs, investments, and economic growth!

CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY
AND URGE THEM TO OPPOSE A 3% TAX ON INDIVIDUAL INCOME
IN MAINE, REGARDLESS OF FILING STATUS!

LD 498, An Act to Reauthorize a 3 Percent Tax on income Over $200,000 To Lift All Maine Workers out of Poverty, punishes the hard work and success of Maine families and threatens Maine jobs, investments, and economic growth!

LD 498 threatens to stifle Maine’s fragile economy…

• Increasing Maine’s individual income taxes will impact jobs and investments, and will ultimately shrink, not grow, Maine’s economy.
• This bill punishes success and those who work hard to achieve it.
• This bill will hurt small businesses that have already been hit hard by the pandemic. In Maine, approximately 80% of businesses are established as LLCs, partnerships, or S-Corps. In those instances, the income from the business flows through to the individual taxpayer(s), and he or she is responsible for paying the income tax directly.
• The Legislature has consistently lowered the top individual income tax rates since 2011. Any increase would be a step backwards, and Maine cannot afford that!

On Thursday evening, June 10, the Maine House of Representatives took up LD 553, An Act to End Employment at Will, for initial debate. After a spirited 45-minute discussion, the House overwhelmingly rejected the proposal (99-35).  The rebuke of the majority report was significant for the amount of bi-partisan support it received.  To see how your local legislators voted, you can find the Roll Call here.

Mid Coast–Parkview Health Celebrates Nurses Week and Hospital Week

BRUNSWICK, ME — Each year, Nurses Week (May 6 – 12) and Hospital Week (May 9 – 15) are opportunities to highlight hospitals, health systems, and health care workers and the innovative ways they are supporting the needs of their community members. Attention can be focused on the diverse ways America's 3.8 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals.

This year, Mid Coast–Parkview Health recognizes more than 600 staff nurses for their unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality patient care, and the entire 2,000 person staff for their contributions to the community.

Mid Coast Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic to Offer Walk-In Appointments

BRUNSWICK, ME–Mid Coast Hospital’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, located at Brunswick Landing, 220 Neptune Drive in Brunswick, will offer walk-in vaccine appointments beginning April 30. Open to all Maine residents 16 and over, the Mid Coast Hospital Vaccination Clinic administers the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Walk-in vaccination is available Monday through Saturday between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Vaccine availability is based on vaccine supply.

American Rescue Plan Tax Credits Available to Small Employers to Provide Paid Leave to Employees Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced today further details of tax credits available under the American Rescue Plan to help small businesses, including providing paid leave for employees receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.

Eligible employers, such as businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer than 500 employees and certain governmental employers, can receive a tax credit for providing paid time off for each employee receiving the vaccine and for any time needed to recover from the vaccine. For example, if an eligible employer offers employees a paid day off in order to get vaccinated, the employer can receive a tax credit equal to the wages paid to employees for that day (up to certain limits).