WHEREAS, in the State of Maine, many children reside in formal and informal kinship care; and

WHEREAS, approximately 6,100 grandparents in Maine are currently standing in as parents; and

WHEREAS, every child in the State of Maine deserves the opportunity to grow and flourish in a supportive, nurturing, and safe home environment while retaining their sense of belonging to family, culture, and community; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting our state; and

WHEREAS, a sufficient blood supply is a public health issue both locally and nationally, and our hospitals and medical centers need a readily available supply for our residents and visitors; and

WHEREAS, one blood donation can help save more than one life, and although most of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, only about 3 percent actually do; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations, the World Federation of the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf and 129 National Associations of the Deaf throughout the world simultaneously participate in the Deaf World Week Celebration; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine and its citizens observe the last full week of September as Deaf Culture Week in accordance with Sec. 1.1 MRSA §132; and

WHEREAS, the 130th Maine Legislature unanimously passed L.D. 1861, An Act to Establish the Safe Homes Program, and as Governor, I signed the bill into law on April 7, 2022; and

WHEREAS, this bipartisan law promotes responsible gun ownership and educates Maine people about gun safety while ensuring that gun owners are not prevented from taking steps to safely secure their firearms because of an issue of affordability or lack of knowledge and information about safe storage options; and

WHEREAS, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the primary providers of community-based long-term support services for thousands of individuals with disabilities in Maine; and

WHEREAS, DSPs are valued for their work in building respectful and trusted relationships with individuals to assist them with their most intimate needs; and

WHEREAS, Maine has a rich and storied tradition of hunting and angling that dates back further than the state itself and carries forward to this day; and

WHEREAS, hunting and angling continue to be an integral component of the cultural fabric of communities throughout the state, and over recent years have offered a growing number of participants an opportunity to connect with nature on a personal level while simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and both mental and physical health benefits; and

WHEREAS, thousands of adults in Maine are in need of assistance in order to qualify for better-paying or more fulfilling jobs, to achieve a post-secondary education, or to improve their English language skills; and

WHEREAS, success in these endeavors leads to these adults becoming more effective family members, citizens, and workers; and

WHEREAS, regular screenings to detect both breast and lung cancer early when treatment can be most successful saves lives; and

WHEREAS, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S. and in the State of Maine; and

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

As you know, last December, heavy rains and powerful winds brought massive flooding that destroyed homes and businesses, roads and bridges, all across Maine. Four people lost their lives.

The Androscoggin River surged above its banks, submerged streets and forced local officials to evacuate at least 150 people. River Road in Lewiston was nearly impassable.

Well, I was pleased to announce that my administration is providing the funding that Lewiston needs to fortify River Road and make it less likely to flood in the future. We're also providing funding to other communities across Maine so they can rebuild from the severe storms of December and January and become more resilient to future catastrophic weather events.

In 2021, we created the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund to provide grants to municipalities, tribal governments, and others, to improve infrastructure that might be vulnerable to flooding or rising sea levels and other extreme weather events - the type of upgrades that will help communities better withstand the storms that we're seeing now.

Earlier this year, I proposed, and the Legislature approved, dedicating $60 million to the Infrastructure Adaptation Fund for storm relief, the largest investment in storm relief in state history. I recently announced that my administration is awarding $25.2 million in storm recovery grants through that fund to 39 different communities across Maine, including the city of Lewiston. Lewiston will use its $200,000 grant to replace two corrugated metal pipe culverts on River Road to accommodate heavy water flow and reduce the possibility of flooding.

The Plantation of Matinicus will use its $75,000 grant to adapt a section of Harbor Road and improve the resiliency of the island's working waterfront. That island's harbor was covered with debris and with damaged fishing gear after the storms in December and January.

The Rumford-Mexico Sewer District will use its $4 million grant to renovate its wastewater pumping station and to install a series of flood-proofing measures. Dozens of residents in Rumford and Mexico were displaced four days after the December storm flooded their homes. After the storm, Rumford's economic development manager, George O'Keefe, said "We respect nature and we respect that the river is going to do things we can't control. Climate poses some pretty serious challenges in inland Maine."

These new Infrastructure Adaptation grants will help communities like Rumford recover from last winter's storms and upgrade their infrastructure to better prepare those communities for the future impacts of climate change.

My Administration will continue to work closely with towns and cities across Maine to protect our people, our communities, our businesses, and our economy from the destructive impacts of climate change.

I thank the municipalities and citizens across Maine, as well as the Maine Legislature for their partnership in this important work.

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

WHEREAS, Community Health Workers (CHWs) act as a bridge between providers and individuals to promote health, reduce disparities, and improve service delivery; and

WHEREAS, CHWs are universally recognized as a vital part of Maine's health care system, and key stakeholders, including Maine state government, support a statewide plan to develop and sustain the CHW workforce; and