'Buy America, Build Maine Act' passes first hurdle in Senate
The Maine Senate gave initial approval to a bill by Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, that would require the State of Maine to support American manufacturing and the creation of jobs in Maine when it contracts for public works or services.
LD 956, The Maine Buy America and Build Maine Act, would require that all public works contracts contain a provision requiring that manufactured goods, including iron and steel, must be manufactured in the United States. It also requires that if two or more substantially similar bids are submitted for a public works contract, preference must be given to a bid submitted by an in-state contractor. If an in-state contractor submits a higher bid than an out-of-state contractor, the bill would require the state to give the Maine contractor an opportunity to match the low bid.
“If the State of Maine has business to do, that business should be done by Maine companies and Maine workers,” Jackson said in a news release provided by the Senate Democratic Office. “Our state spends millions of taxpayer dollars on contracted services every year. Those funds should support Maine’s workers and economy, not line the pockets of out-of-state companies or foreign manufacturers. This bill guarantees that our small businesses, and our workers, will have a fair shot at winning state contracts.”
An amendment by Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, to allow businesses to qualify as “in-state” companies for the purposes of bidding for state contracts if 60% of their workforce or more is located within the state’s borders, was approved unanimously, according to the news release.
LD 956 now heads to the Senate for initial votes.
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