Small business owners and prominent state Republicans will lend their support today to presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s small business economic plan.

House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport, Rep. Meredith Strang Burgess, R-Cumberland, and business owner Doug Newman of Hallowell will all be in Portland at DiMIllo’s Floating Restaurant at 2 p.m. to talk about the plan.

In addition to being an attorney, Tardy is co-owner of Moosehead Manufacturing in Monson. Strang Burgess is CEO of Burgess Advertising in Portland, and Newman is owner of Newman Concrete Services.

McCain is scheduled to give a speech in Denver today to talk about his economic plan. Among the details:

•Cut estate taxes by 15 percent

•Double the child deduction for families

•Expand markets for goods and services

•Order a “stem to stern review of government” to “save billions of dollars”

•Comprehensive reform of unemployment insurance and worker retraining programs