I am feeling extremely grateful to live our small town and more than ever, I appreciate my neighbors. Our community has come together to help students in our schools and older adults access meals, we have shared helpful resources far and wide and we have demonstrated that we are all in this as a team. Step by step and day by day, we will get through this pandemic together.
While many of us are feeling nervous, or even helpless, we will all continue to navigate this situation and do what we can to support one another. In that spirit, I wanted to take a moment to share some more resources and updates with you all.
Elections: The state wanted to ensure that we had adequate time to plan for the primary election and that Mainers would receive safe, equal access to vote. Gov. Mills has announced that the date of our spring primary election will be moved from June 9 to July 14. The change also provides more time for Mainers to request absentee ballots from the Town Office and more time for the Secretary of State to develop guidelines and help municipalities conduct in-person voting in as safe a manner as possible. My husband and I requested our absentee ballots and I recommend that you do so as well. As much as I love voting in person, I think most of us should be voting absentee this year for our safety and the safety of others in our community.
Stimulus: By now, many of you should have received a direct stimulus payment from the federal government to help get you through the pandemic. Your eligibility is based on your income and was determined by your 2018 or 2019 taxes. Adults are receiving up to $1,200 each, $2,400 for couples, and an additional $500 for each child 17 and under. If you’re on Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), Railroad Retirement or survivor benefits, you should automatically receive a $1,200 check. If you didn’t file 2018 or 2019 taxes or haven’t received a check yet and believe you should, you can visit the Get My Payment Portal on the IRS website to see if you’re eligible and check your payment status. You will need to enter your social security numbers, your date of birth, your address and zip code to receive an update. The IRS may also need more information from you to determine your eligibility or where to send your check, so be sure to get the IRS all the information they need. They have a useful Frequently Asked Questions page to help you troubleshoot your specific situation.
Reopening Maine: I know many of you have been doing what you can to help support our local small businesses. As we work to safely reopen the state, Gov. Mills announced a four-staged plan to help us restart our economy. Starting May 1, hair salons, golf courses, about 30 state parks, auto dealerships and a few other types of businesses will begin to reopen. As we enter the summer season, you’ll start to see even more businesses opening each month, as long as we are able to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases. The stages focus on the ability of a business to operate or an activity to occur in a manner that protects public health and safety. Each industry will be provided with a check list with safety precautions to ensure their safety as well as yours and those who complete the check list may receive a badge from. You can find more details on the “Restarting Maine’s Economy” website.
As difficult as this time is, please remember there are steps you can take, and supports the state can provide, to help you through. It’s important that we continue to not only take care of each other, but also ourselves. What I’ve shared here are just a few of the recent actions Maine and the country have taken to respond to COVID-19. For community supports, check the Facebook page: Topsham Cares. Please continue to reach out to me for help when you need it. I am available at 207-287-1430 or Denise.Tepler@legislature.maine.gov. I am here to support you in any way I can.
Rep. Denise Tepler, D-Topsham, represents Maine House District 54.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
