Dear Friend,

With consistently lower numbers of new COVID-19 cases being recorded, Maine appears to be successfully flattening the curve. We are certainly not out of the woods yet, but we have been able to start lifting and loosening some of our state’s pandemic response protocols. 

Maine has replaced the “Stay Healthy at Home” order with a “Stay Safer at Home” order. That order includes a four-stage strategy for Restarting Maine’s Economy. The stages focus not on “essential” versus “non-essential” business designations like those used to originally limit commercial operations and activities, but on the ability of a business to operate or an activity to occur in a manner that protects public health and safety. 

Now that we are in the first stage, many businesses that were allowed to reopen on May 1 have been hard at work updating their establishments to adhere to public health protocols. Of course, many workers and business owners still have questions about the state’s reopening timeline, and I’ve provided more insight below on how this plan may evolve.

I also wanted to share this letter I sent to Governor Mills, urging her to create a COVID-19 Re-opening Task Force that would bring members of her cabinet, public health experts, business leaders, labor and employment interests, and the public together to find safe and sensible ways to open Maine’s economy again. This task force would include business and public interests to harness the creativity, innovation, and resolve Mainers have demonstrated in the face of this crisis. I'll continue to work on this crucial issue. 

For those of you who remain unemployed, I know the backlog of unemployment benefits has placed undue financial stress on many families in our community. I called for a meeting of the Legislature’s Labor and Housing Committee to hear from Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) Commissioner Fortman about what is causing the backlog and to understand the steps being taken to improve the system. We know MDOL has taken actions to better manage the immense number of claims coming in, including hiring 100 new people to take calls, but we will continue to advocate for our constituents and improvements to the systems to get Mainers the support they need. 

All of us are worried about the toll our COVID-19 response is taking on our economy. In hopes of getting people back to work while balancing public health, a four stage plan to reopen Maine’s economy was announced, where more and more kinds of businesses will be allowed to open each month.

Many businesses are understandably concerned about where they fall in this timeline, and it is important to note that the plan to reopen Maine’s economy is not set in stone. As the public health situation changes (like the partnership with Idexx listed above) and as we develop better solutions for the economy, the timeline could be shortened or extended. As part of that, the Department of Economic and Community Development, which is leading the plan to restart Maine’s economy, has opened an online portal for Mainers to submit their ideas for how to improve our reopening plan. Businesses can also make a case for why they and their industry should be reopened earlier. 

Govenor Mills has also convened a long-term economic recovery committee that has 37 members representing business and community leaders, workers and lawmakers who will report back on the economic impacts of the pandemic and make policy recommendations. This feedback along with continued consultation with medical experts and business leaders will help shift the plan into a strategy that works for as many Mainers as possible. 

I’m sure there are a lot of questions about how our reopening will proceed. I will do my best to provide more details and to keep you updated on changes, but please also reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns you have. I also know that many of us will need help navigating these changing circumstances, and I am here to provide that to you in any way I can.