PLC Logger's Voice - Summer 2019

Doran Continued from Page 156
which will effectively substantiate what is in this bill. The
PLC agreed and will work with Director Cormier to ensure
this policy development takes place.
LD 1156, An Act To Create the Small Business
Savings Account Program. This bill, which was a PLC
priority, establishes a Savings Account Program for Small
Businesses which would allow small businesses to make pretax
contributions to qualifying savings accounts. The bill also
establishes that withdrawals from the savings accounts are
taxable when utilized for the business. The PLC testified in
support of this legislation and worked with the bill sponsor
and the Maine Department of Economic and Community
Development on a revised version of the bill during the
session. The bill sponsor presented what he thought was a
final version to the committee, but Maine Revenue Services
still found issues with the bill that they wanted rectified
before moving forward. Since it was so late in the session,
the committee voted to carry the bill over to 2020 and move
forward with it next year in final form.
LD 1498, An Act To Provide Equity for
Commercial Vehicles on Roads and Bridges in Maine. A
PLC priority bill this session, current law allows certain
commercial vehicles at Canadian weight limits that are
higher than those in this State to travel from the United States
-Canada border to certain points in this State. The PLC
testified in favor of the bill and also told the Committee that
if they are not interested in increasing gross and axle weights,
that they should eliminate the higher weight tolerances on
three bridges for Canadian trucks. The Committee carried
the bill over to next session and asked the Maine Dept. of
Transportation to conduct an economic impact study this fall
on the current exemption. The study will review how the
exemption is hurting Maine loggers and truckers, what
getting rid of the exemption would do to the mills that benefit
and how are heavier weights impacting the roads and
bridges.
LD 1540, An Act Concerning Timber Harvesting
on Public Lands and in State Parks, Historic Sites and the
Restricted Zone of the Allagash. A PLC priority this
session, this bill amends and enacts provisions regarding the
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry,
Bureau of Parks and Lands' management of timber
harvesting on state property under its jurisdiction, including:
1. requiring the bureau to report on the State's actual and
potential forest inventory status and needs, including the
need for a sawmill or other forest products processing facility
to be located in the state; 2. requiring contractors harvesting
timber at state parks to be established businesses in the state,
requiring contractors to be Master Logger certified, requiring
contractors to own 50% of their own equipment to be used on
the job, requiring contractors to have workers’ compensation
insurance, and requiring all timber to be purchased by the
contractor under a stumpage sale instead of service contracts;
and 3. requiring forest products harvested, unless used by the
state parks, to be sold to a sawmill or other forest products
processing or manufacturing facility located in the State to be
processed or manufactured at the facility. The PLC testified
in favor of the bill because it believes strongly that
contractors should benefit from harvesting on public lands
and Master Loggers should be recognized for their
work. Similar to LD 1301, Commissioner Beal from the
Dept. of ACF asked the PLC to eliminate this bill for the
time being to allow the new Director of Parks and Lands to
investigate these issues and determine the best path forward
to assist with these issues. The PLC agreed and will work
with Director Cutko to ensure this policy development takes
place.
In summary, this was a long and arduous legislative
session as there were over 1,800 bills printed and heard in
front of committees. As a result, there was a lot of work for
the PLC to push forward initiatives that could help our
industry and push back upon those that would not. However,
at the end of the day, the session could have been a lot worse
in terms of raising the cost of doing business and hurting this
industry for the long run. There were also a lot of bills that
will help raise the bar for this industry and the rightful place
of loggers and truckers in Maine was not only protected but
was expanded as a result of the work that the PLC does in
Augusta. Being in the middle in Augusta can have its
challenges, but it is exactly where the PLC needs to be.
Have a great summer and please do not hesitate to
reach out to me if you have any questions on what transpired
this session or what is on the horizon.
Dana.
16 Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995