Advocacy Alert | Dirigo Business Incentive Program and Pine Tree Development Zone Program are at risk!

Economic development programs for Maine businesses are at risk and we need your help! Please call or email members of the Appropriations Committee and legislative leaders and ask them to vote to support the Dirigo Business Incentive Program in L.D. 258, the Governor’s change package.

Here’s why:

Dirigo is important because it modernizes the PTDZ Program which is what legislators wanted.

Dirigo is simple, it provides an income tax credit for workforce training and capital investment, two very important issues for Maine businesses.

If the Legislature does not pass Dirigo, or does not vote to extend the Pine Tree Development Zone Program (PTDZ), PTDZ will end this December and the business community will have no incentive program at all.

If Dirigo passes, businesses will have a choice – they can stay in the PTDZ or choose Dirigo.

While Dirigo has received initial unanimous support from the Legislature’s IDEA committee, the Legislature still needs to fund it.

That’s where the Appropriations Committee comes in and where we need your help!

Please contact the following legislators and leadership and urge them to support Dirigo and the PTDZ program!

Appropriations Committee

Sen. Peggy Rotundo, phone, 287-1515, Peggy.Rontundo@legislature.maine.gov

Sen. Jill Duson, phone, 287-1515, Jill.Duson@legislature.maine.gov

Sen. Richard Bennett, phone 592-3200, Richard.Bennett@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Melanie Sachs, phone 299-6825, Melanie.Sachs@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Jessica Fay, phone 415-4218, Jessica.Fay@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Benjamin Collings, phone 405-7865, Benjamin.Collings@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Ann Matlack, phone, 594-4831, Ann.Matlack@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Rebecca Millet, phone, 415-3770, Rebecca.Millet@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Drew Gattine, phone 409-3477, Drew.Gattine@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Sawin Millett, phone 592-5398, Sawin.Millet@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. John Ducharme, Jack.Ducharme@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Mark Blier, phone 712-5705, Mark.Blier@legislature.maine.gov

Rep. Nathan Carlow, phone 929-0895, Nathan.Carlow@legislature.maine.gov

Legislative Leadership

Senate Democrats ?phone 287-1515

Senate President Troy Jackson, 287-1500, Troy.Jackson@legislature.maine.gov

Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli, 443-4660, Eloise.Vitelli@legislature.maine.gov

Assistant Majority Leader, Mattie Daughtry, 370-9871 Mattie.Daughtry@legislature.maine.gov

Senate Republicans phone 287-1505

Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, phone, 287-1505, Trey.Stewart@legislature.maine.gov

Assistant Republican Leader, Lisa Keim, phone, 562-6023, Lisa.Keim@legislature.maine.gov

House Democrats phone 287-1430

Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross, phone, 200-1226, Rachel.TalbotRoss@legislature.maine.gov

Majority Leader Maureen Terry, phone, 712-9735, Maureen.Terry@legislature.maine.gov

Assistant Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier,  807-1637, Kristen.Cloutier@legislature.maine.gov

House Republicans phone 287-1440

Minority Leader Bill Bob Faulkingham, phone 460-6967, William.Faulkingham@legislature.maine.gov

Assistant Minority Leader Amy Arata, phone 333-1817, Amy.Arata@legislature.maine.gov

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Linda Caprara, VP of Advocacy at the Maine State Chamber, at lcaprara@mainechamber.org.