WHEREAS, forest trees cover eighty-nine percent of Maine’s land, making the state the most heavily forested in the United States; and
WHEREAS, city and town shade trees provide natural beauty, shade, and refreshing health for urban environments; and
WHEREAS, trees can reduce erosion of topsoil by wind and water, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife; and
Like many Maine parents across Maine, my husband Stan and I used to sit at our kitchen table, look over our bills, consider our family’s needs, and then budget – making the hard calls on how much of our paychecks to save or spend and what to spend them on.
Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
Like Maine families, the State of Maine makes hard decisions about how much to spend and what to spend the public’s money on. Earlier this month, Maine’s nonpartisan Revenue Forecasting Committee upgraded the State’s General Fund revenue forecast by about $223 million just for the current biennium, which ends this June. The Committee also upgraded revenue projections for 2024 and ‘25 by $71 million. The Committee noted, however, that revenues are beginning to plateau after years of significant increases during the pandemic, which we expected. But we aim to live within our means and still address immediate issues impacting Maine people.
Maine’s Constitution requires a balanced budget—that means that these projected surplus revenues must be allocated.
This week, I announced a change package to the budget and to use these projected revenues in a responsible way to address serious, pressing issues – like the housing crunch, homelessness, and food insecurity – while also still making thoughtful, strategic investments to strengthen our economy and make Maine a better place to live in the long-run and encourage businesses to move here and provide good paying jobs.
This legislation includes an additional $50 million, on top of the original $30 million proposed, for a total of $80 million to build more affordable housing for Maine people. That includes $35 million for the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, which is very popular, and $35 million for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Together, these programs are expected to support nearly 500 new housing units statewide.
This legislation also includes an additional $12 million in one-time funding for emergency shelters for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The legislation also establishes the “Housing First Program” to provide so-called “wraparound services” for people living in supportive housing.
The lack of affordable housing is a serious issue holding Maine people back. Another issue threatening the health and well-being of Maine people is food insecurity. The change package includes $2 million in one-time funding to prepare up to 10,000 meals a day for homeless, or sheltered, or other people with food insecurity.
Families struggling to afford housing and food simply can’t succeed. These investments will address the immediate, serious needs of Maine people, but we have to strengthen our economy at the same time to make sure that every person can find and keep a good-paying job that provides for their basic needs.
To expand job training for Maine people, the change package includes $5 million in one-time funding to create a workforce attraction pilot program; expand the Maine Career Exploration program; and enhance job support programs for older workers and people who have disabilities. The change package also includes $2.3 million in ongoing funding for the Maine Apprenticeship program.
To attract good businesses with good jobs to Maine, this legislation package also dedicates some of these revenues to modernize Maine’s business tax credits to reward companies who invest in workforce training.
These are just some of the strategic investments we are making. The legislation also includes funding to support children — doubling the state income tax credit for child care; launching the “Child Safety and Family Well-Being Plan” to prevent abuse and neglect; expanding community services for children with behavioral health needs; renovating schools that need repairs.
The change package also funds critical infrastructure repair, like drinking and wastewater improvements, and culvert replacement, allowing us to draw down more matching Federal funds for projects across the state.
The legislation is in addition to the more than $200 million worth of initiatives we’ve passed that provide tax relief to Maine people – like the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and Property Tax Fairness Credit; the pension deduction, which cuts taxes for retirees; and the expanded Homestead Exemption to help with property taxes. And of course, for the first time in history, we’ve been funding 55 percent of the cost of education and we’re returning more money to towns through municipal revenue sharing, all intended to hold down property taxes.
We’ve proven that we can live within our means, addressing our most pressing issues while making investments in our future, just as Stan and I did for years at the kitchen table every night.
I look forward to working with the Legislature in the coming weeks to enact the change package and make those investments in our state.
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening and to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day.
WHEREAS, the State of Maine is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety and essential role our homes, buildings and infrastructure play, both in everyday life and when disasters strike; and
Hello this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
You know, since I took office in 2019, Maine’s Gross Domestic Product, which is a key measure of economic growth, has increased by more than 10 percent. That’s the best rate of growth in New England and 9th the best rate of growth in the nation. In fact, Maine has experienced more economic growth over the last four years than it did in the previous fifteen years.
That’s great news – but we could do better. One big thing holding us back is our shortage of appropriately skilled workers. Everywhere I go, business leaders tell me they need more people to work, and right now, there are two available jobs for every person seeking a job in Maine. And with a low unemployment rate of 2.6, it makes it harder to find people eligible and ready to work.
To tackle this challenge, we need to reward companies who make investments in training and incentivize other businesses to begin doing that. So, this week, I introduced bipartisan legislation to do just that.
Back in 2003, when unemployment was high in Maine, legislators created the Pine Tree Development Zone Program to create more jobs. Under that program, eligible businesses could reduce their state taxes for up to ten years by creating new, quality jobs in certain businesses, or by moving existing jobs to Maine.
The Pine Tree Development Zone Program will expire at the end of this year, so now is the perfect time to remodel it and meet the current needs of Maine’s economy.
So, as I said, one of the greatest difficulties is the inability to fill many of the job openings we have with skilled workers. And we also need more private sector capital investment – particularly by businesses in promising, high-growth sectors.
So, my bill tackles these challenges by replacing the Pine Tree Development Zone program with a new one called “Dirigo Business Incentive."
The Dirigo Business Incentive program has a two-pronged approach:
Under the Dirigo Business Incentive program, businesses that pay to train three or more workers in an approved training program will receive a $2,000 tax credit per worker trained. Businesses across most of Maine would receive up to a 15 percent tax credit for capital investment, or a lower 7.5 percent credit for York, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc counties.
York and Cumberland counties will be eligible for investment incentives that they are not now generally eligible for under the Pine Tree Zones program. These new credits are specifically targeted towards high-value industries – such as manufacturing, agriculture, aquaculture, logging/forestry, freight, software, and certain professional services like scientific research – so we want to expand and attract these high growth sectors in Maine, and that’s how we do it.
This Dirigo Business Incentive will take effect in 2025, replacing the Pine Tree Zones Program, as well as several other tax credit programs.
For businesses already receiving Pine Tree Zone benefits, they will be able to keep them through the eligibility period and transition into the new program.
Modernizing Maine’s economic development benefits to tie them directly to capital investment and workforce training will allow Maine businesses to invest with confidence, keep Maine competitive with other states, and improve our workforce and strengthen the economy.
I want to thank Senate President Troy Jackson and House Majority Leader Maureen Terry for sponsoring this bill. I look forward to working with the Legislature and a variety of stakeholders so we can take another important step forward in strengthening our economy and improving the lives and livelihoods of all Maine people.
This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have resided in Maine since colonial times, and today, there are over 12,000 Jews living in our state; and
WHEREAS, Bangor was home to Maine’s first synagogue, established in 1849, as well as the largest Jewish community at the time which consisted of six families; and
WHEREAS, throughout their presence in Maine, Jews have faced antisemitism, frequently called the “world’s oldest hatred” and a scourge that still persists today; and
WHEREAS, mental health is an essential component of overall health and wellbeing, and through working together to raise public awareness and reduce stigma around seeking mental health treatment, we can improve the lives of individuals and families experiencing mental health challenges; and
WHEREAS, 50 percent of all mental health disorders begin by age 14 and 75 percent of all mental health disorders begin by the mid-20's; and
WHEREAS, Maine is fortunate to have over 388,000 people aged 60 and over who contribute skills, talent, wisdom, and experience to our great State; and
WHEREAS, the number of older adults in Maine is increasing and becoming a larger portion of the State’s population; and
WHEREAS, established in 2022, the Maine Cabinet on Aging is working to advance policies that will support Maine people in aging safely, affordably, and in ways and settings that best serve individual needs and preferences; and
WHEREAS, on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans came together to celebrate the first Earth Day, recognizing the importance of protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources; and
WHEREAS, in the months and years that followed, the United States Congress passed the Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species, and Marine Mammal Protections Acts and founded the Environmental Protection Agency; and
Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
After declaring a national public health emergency in March of 2020, the Federal government suspended certain eligibility requirements for Medicaid health care coverage, known as MaineCare here in Maine.
This move was to ensure that people would not lose access to health care during this public health crisis.
Late last year, Congress voted to restore those basic eligibility requirements starting this month, including here in Maine. As a result, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has begun to notify people who are enrolled in MaineCare that it is time to apply for renewal. This notification will continue through the summer of 2024, the end of the so-called “unwinding” or transition period.
If you are a MaineCare member and haven’t yet received your notice, you should check to see if your contact information is up to date. Visit MyMaineConnection.gov. That’s MyMaineConnection.gov. Or calling 1-855-797-4357. 1-855-797-4357. When it is time to renew, look out for an envelope with a blue block, which will have information and instructions inside. If you signed up for e-notices, you should also keep an eye on your email for a message.
Once you submit your renewal application, which is vital to continuing coverage if you’re eligible, the Department will determine if you are eligible for coverage.
But look, even if you are not eligible to stay on MaineCare—maybe your earnings increased, maybe you’re working and earning a salary that makes you ineligible, or maybe you’ve had a change in family status, we want you to keep working, continue working, and there’s good news. National estimates indicate that 90 percent of people who lose Medicare eligibility (MaineCare eligibility) will receive coverage through other sources. Other insurance is available, either through your employment or through CoverME.gov – Maine’s health insurance marketplace.
The Department of Health and Human Services has opened a Special Enrollment Period through CoverME.gov for people who might lose their MaineCare eligibility during the transition period. During this Special Enrollment Period, which began April 15 and will continue through July 31, 2024, anyone who has lost their MaineCare coverage can sign up for private health care plans through CoverME.gov – and you may find financial assistance or subsidy for that insurance, too.
You can browse plan options and options for financial assistance for private coverage at CoverMe.gov.
Well, you don’t have to wait for your MaineCare coverage to end to apply for other health insurance on CoverME.gov. You can visit CoverME.gov to create or log into an account, submit or review your application, and select “Recently lost MaineCare” from a list of Special Enrollment Periods. When you complete the application, CoverME.Gov will determine if you are eligible for financial assistance to lower your health care premium or lower your out-of-pocket costs.
This is all about making sure that you and your family don’t lose health insurance—health insurance which can save your life!
My Administration is committed to ensuring that Maine people can afford to go to the doctor, or the dentist, or fill their prescriptions, and get any treatment you need to stay healthy, no matter what the federal government does with MaineCare, or Medicaid.
This Special Enrollment Period is just the latest way we are ensuring Maine people keep their health care coverage as the federal public health emergency comes to an end. You can learn more about the steps we are taking at MaineCare.gov/unwinding.
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
Happy Earth Day, and to the schoolkids who go back to school next week, I hope you had a great school vacation.
Go Bruins and Go Celtics, too!
Parents need access to reliable child care in order to go to work and all kids need a safe place to learn and grow while their parents are working.
That’s why my Administration is working hard to expand affordable, quality early child care for Maine’s working families.
Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
Look, good child care ensures that moms and dads across the state can go to work, earn a paycheck, and have the all-important peace of mind to know that their child is in a safe and enriching environment.
But finding child care providers with available slots has been very hard for many Maine families. That’s especially true in our rural communities.
Renee Hayward, owner of Sweet Beginnings Child Care in Ellsworth said she gets calls and emails every day from parents asking if she has an opening, but the wait list is more than two years long.
Renee said it breaks her heart seeing children with no place to go, parents not being able to balance work and child care, observing she “can't imagine the stress it's causing them."
Over the last three years, we have taken decisive action to strengthen our child care sector by expanding early childhood education opportunities and by supporting child care workers at the same time.
We saw this especially during the pandemic, and since the pandemic—a dearth of child care workers and child care slots. And we are addressing it.
When Maine received historic federal funding during the pandemic, we put more than $100 million towards expanding access to high-quality early child care. We have been busy renovating, expanding, and building new child care facilities to add almost 5,000 child care slots statewide. We’ve increased the salaries of more than 7,000 child care workers to keep experienced people on the job. As a result, Maine has maintained and built child care slots beyond pre-pandemic levels. But there’s more to do.
Just recently, my Administration received a $24 million Federal grant, and we’re using that to build on the work we have already done, expanding child care access and Pre-K access across the state.
Using these federal funds, we will expand outreach and programming for early childhood services to more families. We’ll create pilot projects to make Pre-K more accessible. And we’ll offer professional development for early childhood educators and financial support for child care providers to improve and expand their programs. We’ll also use this grant to collect and analyze data we can use to make better decisions about programs and policies to benefit Maine children and families.
Through strategic investments, we’re expanding access to early child care options and improving the quality of childhood education. That’s good for Maine children, it’s good for working parents, and it’s good for our economy.
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. And Happy Patriot’s Day!