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V O L . X X V I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 2 , 2 0 2 1 6 B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state Businesses look forward to next round of federal help B y R e n e e C o r d e s A bout $1.9 trillion in emergency economic relief, signed by President Joe Biden, is expected to send more help to households and businesses struggling in the wake of the pandemic. As experts go over the fine print of the 255-page bill, the nonpartisan, the Augusta-based Maine Center for Economic Policy estimates that Maine will receive roughly $6 billion from the American Rescue Plan, which it said will provide much-needed but temporary support. Gov. Janet Mills said the funding influx will be a "boon to Maine, to our health care institutions, to our unem- ployed, to education, and to Maine families generally." Besides $1,400 stimulus checks for those who qualify, the bill includes a number of measures appli- cable to businesses in different sectors. Here are some key takeaways. Broadband: Following negotiations between the White House and Senate leaders including U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, the plan includes $10 billion in funding for broadband as well as $7 billion to close the digi- tal divide for students. King, co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, called it the largest congressional broadband advancement in history and estimates that at least $100 million is headed to Maine. Restaurants: Based on the Restaurant Revitalization Bill in the Senate, the American Rescue Plan throws busi- nesses a $25 billion lifeline in the form of grants to help local restaurants struggling during the pandemic keep their doors open and staff on the payroll. The efforts come after restaurants nationwide lost more than $240 billion in 2020 sales and ended the year with 2.5 million fewer jobs than before the crisis. More than one in six eateries are closed permanently or long-term, and open restaurants continue to grapple slower business. PPP tweaks: The American Rescue Plan provides an additional $7.25 billion for forgivable federal loans funded by the federal Paycheck Protection Program and expands program eligibility for nonprofits.(Some 28,000 Maine businesses also got good news when the state Legislature approved a supplemental bud- get that exempts them from paying state taxes on Paycheck Protection Program loans.) Agriculture and food supply: To help a sector hit par- ticularly hard, the plan envisions $4 billion to address major pandemic-related disruptions throughout the food supply chain; invest in new infrastructure for farmers, food processors, and farmers markets to build resiliency; monitor COVID-19 in animals; support small meat and poultry processors; protect food and farm workers on the job; and increase food donations. Airlines and airports: The bill sets aside $14 billion for eligible airlines as well as $8 billion for airports to make changes to facilities to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus. Shuttered venues: For live entertainment venues forced to to stay dark during the pandemic, the plan provides an additional $1.25 billion in support through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program. B I Z M O N E Y P H O T O / R E N E E C O R D E S The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan includes additional support for restaurants.

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