While so many of us are experiencing hardship right now, small business owners, industry leaders and experts from across the state have formed a committee to figure out what it will take to get Maine back on its feet. The Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) published their first report in July with a set of recommendations to find ways to stabilize Maine’s economy during the pandemic and set us on the path to growth afterward. They recognized that recovery is predicated on robust and consistent measures to protect the public health and safety of all Maine people.

Three points the committee chose to guide their planning are: Supporting Maine People, Stabilizing Maine Employers, and Investing in Maine’s Infrastructure. The pandemic has created new problems for Maine businesses because of marked loss of revenue, especially during tourist season, and it has made previous weaknesses and inequities in Maine’s economy even worse. Despite these hurdles, the ERC is committed to finding solutions for Maine, because that’s what Mainers do. When things get tough, we put our heads down and work hard. The same is true for our local businesses, including those right here in Gorham. So many of them have come up with creative solutions to interact with their customers and operate in ways that protect public health and keep their doors open.

The committee worked on a grant program with the Department of Economic and Community Development to help keep small businesses afloat, and it is gearing up to notify awardees of these grants by mid-December. Offering financial support to these businesses is a way to recognize how they play a major part in Maine’s economy and that we want to invest in them so that they can continue to be part of our communities for years to come.

Maine families are suffering as well. The Economic Recovery Committee recommends that we invest in public health, education and housing. We need to create more affordable housing options in Maine, so that people can live securely and be near their jobs. Families and teachers who are now learning and teaching in hybrid models know that schools need to be supported right now to make sure students do not fall behind.

Small businesses and families both suffer without access to internet, especially during the pandemic. COVID-19 has highlighted the fact that many parts of our state still don’t have reliable, high-speed internet. We need a significant investment in Maine’s infrastructure to support this. The ERC devised a plan to increase Maine’s access to broadband internet connection and make remote work and education a priority, which will help convince more of our young people to stay to live and work in Maine, and welcome new families here.

These are some of the first recommendations by the committee needed to provide immediate assistance. A summary of the committee’s recommended investments can be found at www.maine.gov/future/initiatives/economy/economic-recovery-committee. The ERC is now developing specific policy recommendations based on the state’s 10-year Economic Plan to build a bridge to future prosperity in the wake of COVID-19. The next report

is due on December 1. While there is still much work that needs to be done, the ERC is developing a plan to put us on the right track. We desperately need the federal government to step up to assist Maine in helping us achieve these goals.

As my term in the Legislature ends, it is with a bittersweet feeling knowing this is my last column as your state senator for The Gorham Times. I have written on a wide variety of topics during my tenure. These topics, such as continuing to prevent the spread of COVID, addressing climate change, lowering the cost of and increasing accessibility to health care, are still incredibly important to me, and I will continue to advocate for them in the future. We all have a role to play in supporting Maine’s future and being part of the change we seek. Thank you again for your support and trust. I look forward to seeing you around in the community.

Linda Sanborn is serving her first term in the Maine Senate, representing Senate District 30, which includes Gorham, part of Buxton, and part of Scarborough. She previously served four terms in the Maine House, and practiced family medicine in Gorham for 25 years.

(207) 287-1515 | Linda.Sanborn@Legislature.Maine.gov