AUGUSTA, Maine (WGAN) Governor Janet Mills on Wednesday announced the creation of the “Economic Recovery Committee.”
The governor says the committee will be made up of 37 people, ranging from business owners to leaders in unions, municipalities, and other industries, who will offer input on how to manage the short-term and long-term economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Those issues include:
Strengthening Maine’s key industries and small businesses;
Strengthening workforce development;
Improving opportunities for lower-and middle-income families;
Expanding economic opportunities for rural communities; and
Attracting new investments and innovations in key sectors such as business, communication, health care, recreation and education.
“This pandemic is wreaking havoc on our national economy and dealing heavy losses to businesses of all sizes and millions of people who find themselves newly unemployed. Like all states, Maine will be impacted both in the short- and long-term,” said Governor Mills. “While we work to protect public health and safely restart Maine’s economy, I am convening a committee of experts and stakeholders from various industries and with vast experiences to develop recommendations that can guide our economic recovery. Together, drawing on the hard work and resilience of Maine people, we will rebuild and strengthen our economy and rise from this unprecedented challenge to be a stronger state.”
Governor Mills says the committee will conduct it’s meetings virtually and they will be open to the public. The public will also have a chance to weigh in through an online portal.
Mills says she expects them to deliver a preliminary report by July 15th and a final report by December 1st.
Mills says the committee will not offer suggestions pertaining to public health, and will not address the timeframe to re-open Maine’s economy. But Mills on Wednesday said her plan to re-open the economy can be flexible as the situation changes day-to-day, and that her administration is looking closely at the possibility of tweaking the timeframe for rural counties where the prevalence of coronavirus is much lower.
