Growing Maine – Bipartisan Immigration Solutions 2021
Join ABIC and its partners on June 18th, 2021, at 11 am ET for Maine Growing – Bipartisan Immigration Solutions of 2021. Hear from business, faith, and civic leaders from across Maine about the urgent need for bipartisan Senate action on three common-sense immigration solutions: the Durbin-Graham Dream Act and the Crapo-Bennet companion legislation Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and the SECURE Act. Each proposal recognizes immigrants’ vital and growing contributions to Maine’s economy and communities as our state tackles the challenges for population growth.
Friday, June 18th at 12:00PM EST
Speakers include:
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), by video
- Sen. Angus King (I-ME), statement read by staff
- Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), by video
- Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), statement read by staff
- David Barber, Business Development Specialist, Tyson; Former CEO, Barber Foods
- Julie-Marie Bickford, Executive Director, Maine Dairy Industry Association
- Paul Bolin, SVP, Chief Human Resource Officer, Northern Light Health
- Xavier Botana, Superintendent, Portland Public Schools
- Mufalo Chitham, Executive Director, Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition
- Ben Conniff, Chief Innovation Officer & Co-Founder, Luke’s Lobster
- Dana Connors, President, Maine State Chamber of Commerce
- Bishop Robert Deeley, Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine
- Greg Dugal, Director of Government Affairs, Hospitality Maine
- Kerem Durdag, President & CEO, GWI
- Lori Dwyer, JD, President & CEO, Penobscot Community Health Care
- Roger Katz, Attorney, Former State Senator
- Brian Langley, Former State Senator, Chef/Owner Union -River Lobster Pot
- Matt Marks, CEO, AGC Maine
- Erick Molina, Dreamer, DACA Holder
- Fortunat Mueller, P.E., President & Co-Founder, ReVision Energy
- Angela Okafor, Bangor City Councilor; Owner, Tropical Tastes and Styles International Market; Attorney
- Curtis Picard, CAE, President & CEO, Retail Association of Maine
- Jake Pierson, MCN, Pierson Nurseries
- Heather Johnson, Commissioner, Maine Dep’t. of Economic & Community Development
- Lee Umphrey, President & CEO, Eastern Maine Development Corporation
- Eric Venturini, Executive Director, Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
For the last two decades, Maine has been the oldest state in the nation, with a median age of 44.6 and over 20.6% of the population over 65. As Maine gets older, and our population rates decline, labor shortages are creating a workforce crisis.
Immigrants in Maine support the state’s economy as entrepreneurs and fill critical roles throughout its industries. There are over 49,000 immigrants residing in Maine who pay over $464 million in local, state, and federal taxes, and have a spending power of $1.2 billion. According to Maine Farm Operations, immigrants make up 18% of all farmworkers. Over 6.2% of health aides in Maine are foreign-born, filling jobs in a healthcare industry facing acute labor shortages.
As Maine rebuilds and recovers from the pandemic, the state needs common-sense, bipartisan immigration solutions that will keep families together, create businesses, fill jobs and help Maine grow.
You can register here: http://bit.ly/GrowingMaine