WHEREAS, sexual assault affects people of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds in every Maine community; and

WHEREAS, more than 19,000 people in Maine will experience sexual violence this year, and one in five Mainers will be impacted in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, sexual violence has far-reaching public health and societal costs, with impacts on survivors, their loved ones and their communities, often resulting in mental health struggles, substance use, housing insecurity, lost wages, and healthcare costs; and

WHEREAS, organ donation is a gift that embodies the very essence of compassion, hope, and humanity, and through the selfless decisions of organ donors and their families, lives are not only saved but transformed, creating ripples of healing that extend far beyond the recipients and themselves; and

WHEREAS, one donor can save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life for many more through tissue donation; and

WHEREAS, March 29th, 2026 marks the 53rd anniversary of when the last United States Military unit left Vietnam and the final group of American prisoners of war were freed; and

WHEREAS, 48,000 men and women from the State of Maine served in Vietnam, while an additional 16,000 Mainers were serving worldwide during the Vietnam War era; and

WHEREAS, Maine law states that an employer may not discriminate between employees in the same establishment on the basis of sex by paying wages to any employee in any occupation in this state at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work on jobs that have comparable requirements relating to skill, effort and responsibility; and

WHEREAS, wage inequality remains an ongoing issue though requirements regarding equal pay have been part of Maine law since 1949; and

WHEREAS, forests cover over eighty-nine percent of Maine's land, defining our environment and contributing to our high quality of life; and

WHEREAS, these healthy, productive forests provide employment and sustain the state's two leading industries, forest products and tourism; and

WHEREAS, for more than a century, the State of Maine has been a national leader in forest fire control and prevention, and in 1891 established the Maine Forest Service to combat forest fires; and

WHEREAS, Maine's agricultural community is a cornerstone of our great state and provides numerous benefits to Maine's residents and visitors; and

WHEREAS, Maine's agricultural sector fuels the state's economy, contributing more than $3.6 billion annually, employing tens of thousands of people, and stewarding more than 1 million acres of agricultural land; and

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

You know, the prospect of homeownership has always been the cornerstone of the American Dream. It's been a pathway to financial stability. But today, that dream is simply out of reach for so many people.

The median price for a home in Maine is $395,000, and that's only slightly lower than the national price of $401,800. The national news is filled with stories about the tough times renting or buying a house everywhere from California to Connecticut. Almost 30 percent of all Americans are "house poor" -- that is, they spend 30 percent or more of their incomes on housing. That's not right.

The entire nation is short millions of housing units for rent or for sale. High interest rates, and supply chain problems, and labor shortages have made the situation even worse, and the president's tariffs on aluminum, steel, and other building materials have just driven up costs and slowed new construction at a time when we need it most.

We can't give up on the American Dream, not when young families can't find a house that fits their budget. Not when retirees want to downsize but can't find a smaller place at reasonable cost. Not when businesses are losing workers because they can't find housing close by their employment.

My Administration is building and preserving affordable housing for Maine people in a number of ways. We're doing what we can at the state level.

First, we're helping towns provide emergency housing shelters with wraparound services for people who are chronically homeless. We established the Home for Good program, a cost-effective approach to address homelessness. Many of those people are suffering from mental illness or addiction and need services. And recently, I announced that three communities -- Bangor, Portland and South Portland -- will be receiving a grant through this program to create 92 new affordable apartments with help to get people off the streets and into stable housing, providing the help they need to turn their lives around. Stable housing is the most effective way to help those people who are struggling with chronic homelessness and reduce costs for communities and for taxpayers.

Secondly, we're building out our housing inventory so we can increase the availability of good homes for all Maine people. Since I took office, my administration has authorized almost $315 million to build more homes, nearly five times more than the State of Maine spent on housing production from 2000 to 2018. In the past year alone, my administration and MaineHousing have financed more than 1,000 affordable homes, mostly new construction.

Thirdly, we have worked closely with the legislature to enact zoning, land use, regulatory, and permitting reforms to allow the private sector to build more of the market rate homes that Maine people need.

And fourth, we have enacted historic legislation to preserve the affordable homes we have already in Maine. We expanded tax relief programs like the Property Tax Fairness Credit, the Homestead Exemption, and the State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. We also created the Mobile Home Park Preservation Fund, so mobile home residents can purchase their own parks before wealthy out-of-state corporations swoop in and buy them out from under them and then evict them.

I've also announced an "American Dream" proposal that will result in 825 new homes across Maine, mostly for middle class families, and that's pending in the legislature right now.

It has been said that "a life is measured not by what you build, but by who you lift." Well, here in Maine, we're both building and lifting lives up so that people can be in charge of their destinies and achieve that cornerstone of the American Dream: owning a home of their own. It's not easy, but we're doing everything we can in a creative, innovative way to make sure people have a place to call home that they can afford here in Maine.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, child abuse and neglect is a serious problem affecting every segment of our community, and finding solutions requires input and action from everyone; and

WHEREAS, child abuse can have long-term psychological, emotional, and physical effects that have lasting consequences for victims; and

WHEREAS, prevention is possible, and with strong policies and investments, families and children can thrive, fostering prevention, stability and long-term well-being; and

WHEREAS, native plants are indigenous species that have evolved alongside native wildlife and occur naturally in a particular geographic region, ecosystem, and habitat; and

WHEREAS, native plants are essential for healthy, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems and are critical for cleaning air, filtering water, and stabilizing soils; and

WHEREAS, damage to underground facilities, such as pipes, mains, cables or conduits, can result in dangerous or costly leaks, fires, explosions and injuries, environmental mishaps, and the disruption of vital utility services, even though this damage and its consequences are often preventable; and

WHEREAS, all individuals, entities, corporations, and government bodies planning to dig, blast, or demolish need to first determine the location of underground utilities; and