WHEREAS, in calendar year 2022, there were 3,959 cases of substantiated child maltreatment in Maine; and

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, our children are our most valuable resources and will shape the future of Maine; and

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

You know, having good oral health is key to our ability to do so many important things, like just eating and drinking and talking. Anyone with persistent dental issues knows that that pain or discomfort can really impact your self-esteem, your ability to concentrate at work or at school, and your overall health and well-being.

Despite how important it is, many people still lack access to affordable dental care, including some of our veterans.

There are so many stories —

One Maine veteran was receiving dental care on base in Iraq when a rocket attack disrupted the procedure. He returned home shortly after that with his dental issue still not addressed, leaving him in pain.

Another Maine veteran was unable to chew food because of several broken teeth. As a result, that veteran was unable to eat normally, and they lost a significant amount of weight. 

Another Maine veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, was unable to visit a dentist for years because of anxiety being around people.

As someone who grew up in a military family, I want to make sure that those who served us in uniform have access to the health care they need and that they deserve.

That’s why, in 2021, my administration launched the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network, in partnership with Northeast Delta Dental, and participating dental clinics, and medical clinics around the state, to provide dental services to Maine veterans who otherwise cannot afford them. In 2023, the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation also donated $35,000 to this program.

Thanks to all those organizations, the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, and Sarah Sherman and April Breton in particular, last year the program served 503 veterans, many of whom were seeing a dentist or dental hygienist for the first time since they left military service.

I am so proud that, since it was created, the Veterans’ Dental Network has provided dental care for more than a thousand veterans — including those three I mentioned earlier.

That’s making a real difference in their lives. When one veteran learned that he qualified for the program, he said, “Do you mean to tell me that I’m going to be able to smile at my daughter’s wedding?”

Overwhelming demand for the program meant that funding ran out last year before another 156 veterans could get care. Well, now, thanks to a generous of $300,000 grant from Northeast Delta Dental, the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network will continue services for veterans in need.

The veterans who applied for the program last year but didn’t get it before funding ran out have already been referred for service. The rest of the new funding is available on a first come, first served basis for any Maine resident who is a veteran who lacks dental insurance, and can’t afford to pay for dental care out of pocket. Grants of $600 per veteran are available for care at 23 different locations from Portland to Patten.

Veterans may apply online by visiting: Maine.gov/governor/mills/veteransdental. That’s Maine.gov/governor/mills/veteransdental. One word.

If you don’t have access to the internet, or if you know a veteran who doesn’t have access to the internet and wants more information, please call (207) 287-6836. That’s (207) 287-6836 – during normal business hours.

My Administration is committed to ensuring that every person in Maine can access oral health services they need. If you are a veteran, please visit our website or call that number to see if you are eligible for services through the Veterans Dental Network. Call today.

I thank Northeast Delta Dental, the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services, and the many participating clinics across the state who continue to make this nationally recognized program possible. And, I thank all Maine veterans for their service on behalf of our state and our nation.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.  

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

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

Just across from the Maine State House is the Blaine House – where I spend most of my weekdays. It has been home to every Governor of Maine since Carl Milliken and his family moved in back in January 1920.

The Blaine House grounds have also long been home to a big old maple tree in the front yard. It’s a tree that Maine’s governors have tapped each spring for sap that can be boiled into delicious maple syrup.

That’s just what I did this past Tuesday, with the help of the Maine Maple Producers Association, I was proud to carry on this sweet tradition and tap the Blaine House Maple Tree and kick off Maine’s maple season.

Maine is home to 450 producers who are licensed to sell maple products and who produce more than 575,000 gallons of syrup every year. That makes our state the third largest producer of maple syrup in the country. Somerset County alone actually produces more maple syrup than any other county in the United States.

That’s also where the Passamaquoddy have 40,000 acres of land in Somerset and Franklin County, where they run 14,000 taps and have a very vigorous and robust maple syrup industry.

Producing and selling maple syrup generates more than $55 million in economic activity a year and supports more than 800 full-time and part-time jobs every year. If you’ve ever been to a sap house, you know how hard and fast those people work.

So, just two weekends from now – March 23rd and 24th – sugar shacks across the state will open their doors for one of my favorite Maine traditions: the 41st annual Maine Maple Sunday weekend.

During Maine Maple Sunday weekend, you can visit your local sugar shack for events like boiling demonstrations, sugar woods tours, live music, horse-drawn hayrides, pancake breakfasts, maple donuts, maple ice cream, maple salsa, maple whoopie pies and plenty of maple products to sample and share.

Whether you prefer dark and rich or pale gold and other delicious flavors, there’s a syrup for everyone’s taste. 

I hope you’ll join me in visiting one of our extraordinary sugarhouses later this month during Maine Maple Sunday weekend. A full list of the Maine Maple Producers can be found online at MaineMapleProducers.com. That’s MaineMapleProducers.com

Since 2015, Maple Syrup has been Maine’s “official state sweetener.” Whether you use your Maine maple syrup on pancakes or waffles, on carrots or Brussel sprouts, or on traditional maple snow candy – Maine maple syrup always makes life a little bit sweeter.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening, and don’t forget to turn your clock ahead this weekend also.