Policy Minute: The week ahead in Augusta
Courtesy Portland Regional Chamber
Chris Hall, CEO, Portland Regional Chamber
Welcome to Policy Minute, a quick recap of recent business policy and political news from the State House and in the Portland region. For more information you can read my weekly Policy Update.
So here's where we are this morning at the State House:
• Democratic leaders and the governor remain far apart on the issue of repaying Maine's hospital debt. Democrats want to expand Medicaid at the same time, while the governor and his Republican allies won't agree to link the two issues together.
• The state budget remains unsettled — lawmakers met Sunday to hear about a pending cash flow crunch at the Department of Health and Human Services. In three weeks they'll be out of money.
• A bipartisan energy bill is up for discussion this week, but it isn't clear that everyone agrees on the best way to lower Maine's energy costs.
• The 'Gang of 11' tax reform bill survived a week of work sessions before the legislature's Taxation Committee, but talk has turned to taking parts of the bill into the state budget to help balance the books.
• A bipartisan workforce bill — LD 90 — is ready for enactment. The bill tries to focus limited resources on filling the state's work force skills gap.
• The storm around education reform continues, with choice, vouchers, teacher evaluation, school grades and charter schools all in the mix.
Local news: On Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Portland City Hall's Council Chambers supporters and opponents of the proposed Congress Square Plaza redevelopment plan will make their cases to members of the City Council.
Chris Hall is the CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber. Policy Minute provides Mainebiz readers timely information on important business-related issues that impact the workplace and our communities.
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