Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development to Convene a Working Group to Improve the State's 10-year Economic Development Strategy
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1198
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
Sponsors: MILLETT, BALDACCI, BRADSTREET, COLLAMORE, MOONEN, NESS

Legislative Document
No. 1198
H.P. 758
House of Representatives, March 14, 2023
Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community 
Development to Convene a Working Group to Improve the State's 
10-year Economic Development Strategy
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MILLETT of Waterford.
Cosponsored by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot and
Representatives: BRADSTREET of Vassalboro, COLLAMORE of Pittsfield, MOONEN of 
Portland, NESS of Fryeburg.
Sec. 1.  Department of Economic and Community Development to establish 
working group to improve State's 10-year economic development strategy. 
Resolved: That the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, referred 
to in this resolve as "the commissioner," shall convene a working group, referred to in this 
resolve as "the group," to improve the State's 10-year economic development strategy in 
order to develop a diverse and sustainable economy that raises the State's standard of living; 
raises the State's average weekly wage; reduces poverty; attracts outside investment and 
venture capital in order to compete with other states regionally and nationally; attracts 
research and development opportunities; improves the State's regulatory environment; 
improves the State's competitive position; creates and retains jobs that add economic value 
or bring in money from outside the State, supporting public sector and service jobs; 
provides economic development that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and addresses 
climate change; supports individuals' aspirations and enables each person to maximize that 
person's contribution to productive work, community and personal fulfillment; and makes 
the State an economic contributor to the country's national and international goals.
Sec. 2.  Membership. Resolved: That the commissioner shall appoint to the group 
at least 12 members who have knowledge and experience in economic and community 
development in the State. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall serve as 
an ex officio member of the group. All appointments must be made within 30 days of the 
effective date of this resolve. The members of the group shall select a chair from the group's 
membership. Members of the group serve without compensation. The Department of 
Economic and Community Development shall provide administrative support to the group. 
The group shall disband after completing its duties under section 3.
Sec. 3.  Meetings; duties. Resolved: That the chair shall schedule the first meeting 
of the group within 30 days of the date of the final appointment to the group. The group 
shall meet at other times the chair determines necessary to perform and complete the duties 
of the group. In its work, the group shall consider and develop improvements to the State's 
10-year economic development strategy, including, but not limited to:
1.  The development of workforce skills;
2.  The attraction and retention of a diverse workforce;
3.  The creation and retention of quality jobs that add economic value or bring in money 
from outside the State;
4.  The attraction of outside investment and venture capital and how the State can 
successfully compete with other states for investment and venture capital;
5.  The attraction of research and development opportunities;
6.  The connection to and development of sectors tied to the 21st century economy;
7.  Establishing connections to cutting-edge growth sectors;
8.  Providing education that produces career or college-ready graduates and provides 
training for 21st century jobs and integrating all educational institutions for appropriate 
lifetime learning; 
9.  The best ways to promote stability and certainty in the economic environment; 
10.  Incentives and penalties that should be put in place to help attract and support jobs; 
11.  Potential solutions to the economic disparity between the urban and rural areas of 
the State; and
12.  Identifying the strategy's potential impacts on taxes, regulation, health care, energy 
costs and labor laws, as well as anything that affects the State's ability to compete for 
innovative companies and jobs that add economic value or bring in money from outside 
the State.
Upon completion of its work, the group shall submit its work to the commissioner for 
review and make any changes to its proposed improvements that the commissioner 
determines appropriate.
Sec. 4.  Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 6, 2023, the commissioner 
shall submit a report including the proposed improvements to the 10-year economic 
development strategy as described in section 3 and any recommended legislation to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business. The joint standing committee may report out legislation concerning 
improvements to the 10-year economic development strategy to the Second Regular 
Session of the 131st Legislature.
SUMMARY
This resolve directs the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to 
establish a working group to improve the State's 10-year economic development strategy 
in order to develop a diverse and sustainable economy that raises the State's standard of 
living; raises the State's average weekly wage; reduces poverty; attracts outside investment 
and venture capital in order to compete with other states regionally and nationally; attracts 
research and development opportunities; improves the State's regulatory environment; 
improves the State's competitive position; creates and retains jobs that add economic value 
or bring in money from outside the State in order to sustain public sector and service jobs; 
provides economic development that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and addresses 
climate change; supports individuals' aspirations and enables each person to maximize that 
person's contribution to productive work, community and personal fulfillment; and makes 
the State an economic contributor to the country's national and international goals.  The 
resolve directs the commissioner to submit the proposed improvements to the 10-year 
economic development strategy to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, 
Development, Economic Advancement and Business by December 6, 2023 and authorizes 
the joint standing committee to report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 
131st Legislature.