On Monday, July 19, the Legislature adjourned for the year after passing LD 1733, the bill allocating nearly $1 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. I couldn’t think of a better way to end our legislative work for the summer than by voting on a bill that provides strong support for Maine’s economic recovery, here in Senate District 29 and in every part of our state.
We invested in the environment, education, small businesses and building Maine’s workforce. I want to share some of what this investment will do for Mainers here and across the state.
Anne Carney
Protecting the environment and our natural resources – from conservation to green energy and sustainability – is a top priority for our community and a major focus of my work in Augusta. Because of LD 1733, we now have $10 million to dredge the Port of Portland, which will be essential for climate resilience. We put an additional $20 million toward climate adaptation improvement projects to address rising sea levels and to protect our working waterfronts and beautiful coastline.
We’re using $25 million to help the Department of Health and Human Services mitigate lead contamination in drinking water at daycare centers and schools. Another $5 million will be used to test for arsenic in wells that tenants rely on so they have safe drinking water for themselves and their families. Maine’s motto, “Dirigo,” means, “I lead,” and we’ll be leading on building electric vehicle infrastructure with $8 million for new charging stations.
The initiatives are smart investments that prepare us for dealing with the effects of climate change while also protecting human health.
Significant investments in education, a deep concern for our community and a top legislative priority for me, are in LD 1733, too. We know investing in young people is key to a strong Maine economy – as we respond to the pandemic and into the future. That’s why we are putting $35 million into both the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System.
Another $20 million in rescue plan funds goes to the Department of Education to support career and technical education centers across the state. We’re sending $3 million to the Department of Labor for youth pre-apprenticeship support and $2.5 million for the Department of Economic and Community Development to attract remote workers to our state.
The investments will educate, prepare and train people to live, stay and work in Maine. They’ll connect Mainers with good-paying, in-demand jobs and help businesses find the skilled workers they need. That’s a recovery to celebrate.
Finally, the rescue plan funds in LD 1733 will invest in another top priority: Families in our community and our state need additional support for child care. That’s why we invested $10 million for the Department of Education to establish and expand public prekindergarten programs, which will support early childhood learning and development. Additionally, another $10 million will help renovate, expand or construct child care facilities. And $5 million will establish the Help Maine Grow System and the First 4 ME Early Care and Education Program.
The investments in our children are investments in our future.
We’ve made smart, thoughtful decisions about how to spend Maine’s rescue plan money. The opportunities to invest in Maine’s economic recovery, address key infrastructure needs, and help Maine people prepare for a bright future are unprecedented. I’m excited to see how these investments benefit our community over the next few years.
If you have thoughts or questions, please contact me at Anne.Carney@legislature.maine.gov or 207-287-1515. I’m always happy to hear from you.
Anne Carney represents Maine Senate District 29, which consists of Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and part of Scarborough.
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