An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee To Develop a Long-range Strategic Plan for Economic Improvement in the State
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §929-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. MMM, §1, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §929-B, as amended by PL 1999, c. 272, §3, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 10 MRSA §929-C, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 420, §6, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 10 MRSA §929-D is enacted to read:
§ 929-D. Powers and duties
(1) Employ a continuous process with a 5-year to 10-year planning horizon;
(2) Include consideration of:
(a) The types of industries and jobs with significant growth potential in the State;
(b) The State's evolving industrial base;
(c) The dynamic regional, national and international markets and Maine’s comparative, competitive and absolute advantages;
(d) Other relevant studies and evaluations in the private and public sectors regarding the long-term economic growth of the State;
(e) The quantity and quality of the State's workforce;
(f) Discrepancies in challenges and opportunities among different regions in the State;
(g) Opportunities and challenges for small businesses; and
(h) Maximizing the return on investment in the State;
(3) Use a public and private partnership approach that is objective and nonpartisan with appointment of working groups and advisory committees as necessary to represent stakeholders; and
(4) Use a transparent public process that allows for public input as appropriate.
(1) Goals and objectives for the long-term economic improvement of the State that support a high quality of life for all people in the State;
(2) Specific, quantifiable and measurable benchmarks against which progress toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of the plan can be measured;
(3) Strategies to accomplish the benchmarks based upon the best practices in this State, other states and other countries; and
(4) Recommendations with respect to allocation of resources.
Sec. 5. 10 MRSA §929-E is enacted to read:
§ 929-E. Strategic plan implementation
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §8876, last ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 720, §9 and PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §7 and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §23, is further amended to read:
The director shall coordinate the efforts of this program fully with ongoing bureau and federal forestry program planning efforts and with the efforts of the Maine Economic Growth Council to develop a long-term long-range plan for the State's economy pursuant to Title 10, section 929-B 929-D.
Sec. 7. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Economic Growth Council 0727
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for the initial development of a strategic long-range economic plan for the State. Funds appropriated for this purpose may not lapse but must be carried forward to be used to complete the development of the strategic economic plan authorized by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 929-D.
| GENERAL FUND | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
|
All Other
|
$150,000 | $0 |
 |
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $150,000 | $0 |
Maine Economic Growth Council 0727
Initiative: Provides funds for the ongoing costs of monitoring, assessing and revising the strategic long-range economic plan for the State. Funds appropriated for this purpose may not lapse but must be carried forward to be used to complete the development of the strategic economic plan authorized by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 929-D.
| GENERAL FUND | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
|
All Other
|
$120,000 | $120,000 |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $120,000 | $120,000 |
| ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$270,000 | $120,000 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $270,000 | $120,000 |
SUMMARY
This bill provides additional clarity, requirements and resources for the Maine Economic Growth Council's efforts to fulfill its current statutory mandate to develop, monitor and maintain a long-range strategic economic improvement plan for the State. It also includes provisions to support the State's achievement of the goals and objectives in that plan by establishing requirements for the Governor, Legislature and agencies with relevant programs and activities to consider the long-range strategic economic improvement plan and provide information to the Maine Economic Growth Council at the request of the council. This bill would increase the annual General Fund appropriation to the Maine Economic Growth Council from its current $55,000 to $175,000 and would provide a one-time additional appropriation of $150,000 for development of the initial plan in order to meet the timelines required in this bill.