GROWING MAINE FROM WITHIN: The Small Business Initiative

If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to www.mainehousespeaker.org/business.

Speaker of the House John Richardson

Maine House Democrats Business Update
Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Legislators, joined by business owners, present Small Business Initiative to large crowd at State House
More than 50 people attended the unveiling of the legislative package

AUGUSTA – More than 50 legislators, small business owners and organization representatives, led by House Speaker John Richardson on Monday laid out a legislative package aimed at supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. One supporter called the effort by Richardson’s group the best effort on behalf of small business in 25 years.

The Small Business Initiative drew support from a wide variety of groups in attendance, including the Maine State Chamber, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the Maine Small Business Alliance.

The legislative package is a product of the Small Business Initiative that began in February 2004 when 16 legislators gathered under Richardson's direction to examine the best ways to create opportunities in Maine for small businesses and entrepreneurs. What resulted was a Small Business Bill of Rights and a draft Action Plan. Members of this "Working Group" held seven forums around the state to hear small business owners and managers comment on the plan and make additional recommendations.

“As we went around the state, people said to us this was the first time anyone from government had come to listen to them,” Richardson said.

The legislative package that resulted includes 15 bills aimed at
• Creating a culture of entrepreneurship;
• Mobilizing state resources on behalf of small businesses; and
• Streamlining the regulatory process.

Clough, of the NFIB, who sat in on most of the meetings of the Working Group and attended five of the seven business forums, praised Richardson for taking the Democratic initiative and opening it up to all members of the Legislature.

“In my 25 years, this is the greatest effort I’ve seen on behalf of small business,” Clough said. “I commend the Speaker for making this a bipartisan effort.”

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Click here for the full list of bill titles included in the Small Business Initiative. The listing includes links so that you can follow the status of the bills throughout the legislative session.

You have a right and an obligation to make your voice heard in Augusta. We will send updates as often as we can to let you know which bills are going to public hearing so you can testify or submit testimony. You can also follow legislation by going to the legislative website and looking up various bills.

Testifying or submitting written testimony
Click here to learn more about testifying on a bill or submitting written testimony.

Contacting your legislator
Be sure to contact your legislator about small business legislation and let them know your opinion and suggestions. You can find your legislators in several ways.

To find your local Democratic legislator, go to www.mainehousedems.org/contactus. To find all state representatives, go to http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm.

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