DAMARISCOTTA, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined Damariscotta Region Chamber Director Stephanie Gallagher to visit local businesses in Damariscotta and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the economy in the Midcoast, from broadband expansion to workforce development.

            “Damariscotta and Newcastle are fortunate to have such thoughtful, hardworking Maine people investing in their community and helping strengthen the economy,” Senator King said. “But there is more we can do to support local businesses who are looking to innovate and grow. From expanding broadband infrastructure to help businesses compete in a 21^st century economy, to improving career and technical education opportunities to build a highly-skilled workforce, we must work together – across all levels of government and through public-private partnerships – to create a more resilient economy. I’m grateful to hear from local business owners today who are working to generate good jobs for people in the Midcoast and throughout Maine.”

Broadband expansion and workforce development have been among Senator King’s top priorities to help grow the Maine economy. His economic agenda, introduced in April 2017, outlined strategies to modernize and bolster Maine’s workforce and supports policies to expand broadband infrastructure in rural parts of the state. Senator King is also a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, and successfully advanced bipartisan federal legislation in 2015 to support innovative strategies to connect rural students to the internet outside of the classroom. In April 2016, he wrote a letter to then-Education Secretary John King urging that he implement the changes.

While in Damariscotta, Senator King also toured the newly expanded Central Lincoln County YMCA where he discussed community programs that support education, nutrition and health for people in the Midcoast region. The upgrades to the Central Lincoln County YMCA include a new fitness center and elevated track, a new teaching kitchen where children can learn about fresh, locally-sourced foods, a pre-kindergarten program, and facility improvements to make the YMCA fully accessible for people with disabilities.

Earlier in the day, Senator King also joined local leaders for a lunch discussion in Wiscasset on coastal resiliency and the impact of climate change on the economy for coastal communities in Maine. Senator King has been outspoken in his support for Maine’s coastal economy and the need to work proactively to mitigate the rising sea levels resulting from climate change. Following a January proposal from the Department of the Interior to open up federal Atlantic waters to offshore drilling and natural gas exploration and extraction, Senator King joined a bipartisan group of his New England colleagues to introduce legislation to bar offshore drilling along the region’s coast, as it could threaten the fishing industry and coastal environment in Maine. He is also a strong supporter of the National Sea Grant Program, which provides resources for marine businesses and fishermen in coastal communities. 

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