Why talk about this now?
Trade associations and industry membership groups are typically nonprofit with dues-based membership organized around a common interest. Examples are the Maine Innkeepers Assoc., American Fly Fishing Trade Assoc. and local Chambers of Commerce. Jackie Farwell’s recent piece in Mainebiz discusses the varied local Chamber responses to Maine’s LD 1495 “Tax Reform.” Positions taken by some Chambers prompted some member push back over the legislative vetting process used by their leadership particularly where Chamber leadership strongly supported the legislation. This begs the question ....