Lawmakers override 15 LePage vetoes
The state Legislature closed its 126th session by overriding Gov. Paul LePage's vetoes for 14 bills, including one for a $12 million bond to support small businesses and job creation.
Other bills that became law Thursday include ones to improve the state's regional economic development revolving loan program, allow more scrutiny of a proposed $67 million fee hike for cell phone ratepayers and support community health centers in underserved areas, according to a press release.
Lawmakers sustained LePage's vetoes of 33 bills, including ones that sought to improve dental care access by establishing a state board, expand the local foods economy, start a rebate program for biomass pellet boilers and clarify wind energy laws.
The $12 million bond, if approved by voters this fall, would provide the Finance Authority of Maine with $4 million to insure portions of small business loans provided by financial institutions, according to the bond measure's text. It will also provide FAME with $8 million for state, regional and local financial firms to make flexible loans to small businesses “to create jobs, revitalize downtowns and strengthen the rural economy.”
The law improving the state's regional economic development revolving loan program has increased the maximum for loans to $350,000 from its previous $250,000 cutoff. It has also made companies with $5-10 million in annual sales and 50-100 employees eligible for the state's revolving loan program.
The telecommunications bill that became law will give the Legislature final approval over proposals by the the Maine Public Utilities Commission to increase the state's Universal Service Fund, which would, in turn, hike fees for cable, cell phone and land line ratepayers. FairPoint Communications has asked the PUC to increase the fund by $67 million to provide more service to far-off, rural customers as part of the state's “provider of last resort” rule. The increase is estimated to cost the average cell phone user about $5 more per month.
The law to help community health centers will allow primary care professionals to claim up to $60,000 in tax credits in increasing increments over five years if they agree to practice full-time in an underserved area for at least that span of time. A maximum of five primary care professionals will be certified by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services each year.
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