STATEHOUSE/REMOTELY State Representative Amy Arata (R-New Gloucester) and State Senator Ned Claxton (D-Androscoggin) have sent a letter to Governor Mills requesting the partial reopening of businesses in rural towns in the counties that are still restricted, allowing them to participate in the rural reopening plan.
Both legislators noted their backgrounds in science in a letter sent to the Governor requesting additional flexibility for rural towns. Representative Arata and Senator Claxton both represent the rural towns of New Gloucester and Poland.
The letter is reprinted below:
May 18, 2020
The Honorable Janet T. Mills, Governor of Maine:
As legislators who have educational backgrounds in science, we appreciate that you responded to improvements in several COVID-19 metrics by allowing the partial opening of businesses in rural counties. We ask that you apply the same flexibility to rural towns in the counties that are still restricted and allow them to participate in the rural reopening plan.
The rural towns that we represent, New Gloucester and Poland, have low population densities similar to rural counties and should not be lumped together with highly populated cities like Portland and Lewiston, where community transmission is mathematically more likely. With no demonstrated evidence of community transmission in these towns and in light of expanded testing capacity, it makes sense to lift some restrictions in rural towns.
As you know, small businesses are the backbone of rural economies. Given the opportunity of a faster reopening of the economy in rural areas, we are hopeful that epidemiological data will prove that you can safely expedite the “Restarting Maine’s Economy” stages and salvage some of our crucial small businesses and some part of our tourism season. Of course, we understand that negative data, especially a trend of increased hospitalization, may require you to slow down the reopening plan to a sustainable degree. We agree that we all must be flexible as we simultaneously protect Mainers’ health and work to rebuild the economy.
We ask that you give rural towns in urban counties an equal opportunity at economic recovery. Other mostly-rural states have started to reopen their economies more quickly than Maine, and the data thus far is very encouraging. A safe, scientifically-informed approach to reopening Maine’s rural towns will give our people hope and encouragement after they have suffered so much.
Respectfully,
Senator Ned Claxton, M.D. (Democrat)
Representative Amy B. Arata, M.S. (Republican)
