- REP. MEREDITH STRANG BURGESS -
POSTS STRONG PRO-BUSINESS VOTING RECORD

More News >

 

AUGUSTA – State Rep. Meredith Strang Burgess racked up a very strong pro-business voting record in the 123rd Legislature, according to an analysis by the Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI). Her rating of 87 out of a possible 100 put her in the top echelon of legislators who voted consistently in favor of a strong Maine economy.

She also recently was named a "Guardian of Small Business" by the Maine chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). She voted 100 percent with small business interests during the two-year legislative session. "Rep. Strang Burgess has been a proven supporter of the small-business owner in Maine when it counts," said David Clough, the NFIB’s Maine state director.

"I'm honored to be recognized by MERI and NFIB for my voting record," she said. "This is a very challenging state to do business in, and employers both large and small deserve a fair deal."

Rep. Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland) has run her own Portland-based company, Burgess Advertising and Marketing, since 1987. "I bring the interests and concerns of Maine's small business community to my work as a legislator," she said. "Small business is the backbone of our economy. Small business creates the majority of employment opportunities for Maine residents. Nevertheless, we have problems that only the Legislature can solve, such as our high taxes and our very costly health insurance."

According to NFIB, businesses in Maine with fewer than 50 employees number more than 43,900, or 97 percent of all private sector firms. Those companies employ more than 247,000 people and pay more than $1.8 billion in wages.

Rep. Strang Burgess said she supports bills that would create jobs, promote economic growth and improve Maine's business climate, which has been rated by Forbes magazine as the 46th in the country. "When you’re in the bottom five states on a business climate list, you're not very appealing to entrepreneurs or companies looking to relocate or expand," she said. "Without a healthy business environment our economy suffers, and with a weak economy unemployment rises and opportunity declines."