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

You all know that last October a gunman took the lives of 18 innocent citizens and injured many more — in an act of senseless and unconscionable violence which devastated our communities and shook our sense of security — the worst mass shooting in Maine history and the tenth worst in our nation’s history.

In the months that followed that tragedy, my office talked with Republican and Democratic lawmakers and with people and organizations across Maine, listening to ideas and concerns and trying to develop a reasonable and balanced approach to the difficult issue of gun violence in the state of Maine. Each person had ideas about what we could do, and each of these ideas was different.

But what was not different — and what was largely agreed upon — was an overarching belief that violence prevention is important; that we must strengthen our mental health system; and that dangerous people should not have easy access to firearms.

Out of those discussions, I introduced legislation earlier this year to enact meaningful public safety protections, to honor the rights afforded by our state and federal constitutions to safe and legal gun ownership, and to uphold our state’s longstanding outdoor heritage.

I am proud to say that last week, one day after the six-month anniversary of the Lewiston tragedy, I signed that legislation into law after the legislature enacted it. 

This law improves Maine’s extreme risk protection order law, it expands checks against the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for advertised sales of guns, and it encourages other sellers to check the buyer’s background so that dangerous people do not have access to firearms.

I also signed into law a supplemental budget. And that budget establishes an Office of Violence Prevention. And it strengthens Maine’s mental health system.

In addition to the supplemental budget and my public safety bill, the legislature also advanced two other proposals related to gun violence, including a bill to require a 72 hour waiting period before purchasing a firearm.

Well, I spent ten days, the maximum time allowed under the Constitution, speaking to people who oppose and who support establishing a “cooling off” period in Maine. These are people of good faith with strongly and sincerely held beliefs who offered arguments on both sides. And I listened to them, I was conflicted.

But after carefully considering all the arguments, I decided to allow the 72-hour waiting period bill to become law without my signature. I did so, however, with some concerns and with the hope that it can be implemented to accomplish its intended goal of preventing suicide by firearm without overburdening our outdoor sports economy and the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners and dealers.

The other proposal advanced by the legislature aimed to ban the sale and possession of devices that might be used to turn a semi-automatic weapon into something that operates like a machine gun. 

Well, let’s be clear, machine guns have long been prohibited under Maine and Federal law, and I agree that devices whose sole purpose is to convert a lawful firearm into a weapon that is the functional equivalent of a machine gun ought to be restricted. But I was concerned with this particular bill because its unusual language was more expansive than Federal law and unlike any other state law, and the manner in which it was developed in the short time available during for any public comment or review created serious questions about this bill. And for those reasons, I vetoed that measure.

Look, violence is not a simple problem, nor is the remedy a single, simple measure. But I am proud that we have enacted practical, common-sense measures to keep people safe. Measures that are Maine-made and true to our culture and our longstanding traditions while meeting today’s needs.

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

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, 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

WHEREAS, emergency medical services is a vital public service; and

WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and

WHEREAS, access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury; and

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, 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 across Maine. Four people lost their lives.

Then in January, two more violent storms caused some of the highest tides ever, which swept fish houses into the sea, kicked pilings out from underneath once-sturdy piers, broke up dunes and breakwaters, chewed up roads and sea walls, wiped storekeepers dry of stock and really changed the very landscape of our coast.

Those things broke my heart. To help Maine people recover and rebuild, I asked President Biden to issue Major Disaster Declarations to free up federal assistance for public infrastructure repairs and for individual assistance for people hardest hit by the back-to-back storms. 

I am very grateful to President Biden for approving those requests.

While my Administration sought every available federal dollar for disaster recovery, I also introduced a stand-alone, emergency bill proposing to use $50 million from our record high “Rainy Day Fund” to ensure that contractors and fishermen and towns could rebuild and get things up and running again as soon as possible.

The Legislature then added $10 million in disaster assistance and recovery for small businesses, which I also supported. But then, because nothing can ever be simple in Augusta, that bill got caught up in last minute politics, when some lawmakers tried to add millions of dollars more in unrelated spending to this simple bill.

Thankfully, we scaled that back, and I am happy to report that we finally got the storm relief package passed, ultimately as part of the supplemental budget.

I am disappointed the bill was not enacted as an emergency measure, as I wanted, which would have allowed it to take effect immediately upon my signature, but I have directed my Administration to be prepared to distribute the $60 million in storm-related relief as soon as that money is available.

We expect to have applications for infrastructure funding available by May 9 and applications for small businesses ready by May 16. So stay tuned — we will be sure to let you know when you can apply.

In the meantime, my Administration will continue to do everything possible to help Maine communities recover and rebuild and become more resilient to future catastrophic weather events.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. 

WHEREAS, soccer is among the most popular sports in the world and has grown rapidly across the United States in recent years; and

WHEREAS, the sport's younger, diverse fan base is fueling the interest of new athletes and fans alike; and

WHEREAS, Maine people of all ages have played soccer for decades in schoolyards, in soccer clubs, and competitively for collegiate and professional teams around the world; and

WHEREAS, in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Economic Opportunity Act, which established the first community action agencies (CAAs) around the country among other important initiatives; and

WHEREAS, today, CAAs are trusted to connect Americans to lifechanging services and to help create pathways to prosperity in 99 percent of all American counties; and

WHEREAS, in Maine, our ten CAAs offer services and assistance to residents throughout the State in our rural, urban and suburban communities; and

This is Governor Janet Mills. And thank you for listening.

You know, in the fall of 1970, 11-year-old Suzanne Clune wrote a letter to her United States Senator. She lived on the banks of the Little Androscoggin River, once a pristine tributary, where deer could see their reflection drinking from the water and where spring pine and choke berry blossoms "filled the air with the sweetest smell on earth," as she said.

That was before toxic chemicals polluted the waters, and before waste formed swells of thick, discolored foam that ran downstream and coated the riverbanks. "Now, in any season," Suzanne wrote to Senator Edmund Muskie, “You can smell, the most sickening smell on earth, a stench that left frogs gasping for air. I'm sick of the river like this," she said. "Please do something about it.” She signed her letter, "One who loves Maine."

Suzanne's letter sparked Senator Muskie's career-long fight for clean air and clean water. And today, as a result of his actions, the Little Androscoggin River is restored as a pristine waterway like the Androscoggin, the Kennebec, and the Penobscot. Places we now can fish and sail and swim. Places we love. I'm grateful that Suzanne did not wait to act.

Before us now is another threat, one that jeopardizes not only Maine's natural resources, but our state's economy and our social wellbeing, too.

It's the threat of climate change.

Rising ocean and land temperatures threaten our heritage industries – fishing, farming, and forestry. Higher sea levels endanger our coastal communities. More frequent and more powerful storms damage our infrastructure. The devastating consequences of burning expensive fossil fuels to power our economy, despite the harm to our environment, is catching up to us.

When I think about the current crisis, I think about Suzanne. I think about Senator Muskie and Senator George Mitchell, Senator William Cohen, former legislators, Republican and Democrat. Republicans like Harry Richardson and Hoddy Hildreth and Sherri Huber. Environmental champions, bound not by ideology or political party, but by a shared commitment to preserve and protect our cherished home, the state of Maine.

I think about how on April 22nd, 1970, just a few months before Suzanne wrote her letter to Senator Muskie, Senator Muskie addressed a gathering in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia on the first Earth Day. He called for an environmental revolution, and he told the 30,000 people there, “We are not powerless to accomplish this change, but we are powerless as a people if we wait for someone else to do it for us.”

Well, 54 years later, Maine is not waiting to act.

My administration has made significant strides towards building a greener, more sustainable future for this place we cherish as our home.

But we need your help too.

This Earth Day, I encourage all of you to honor Senator Muskie's legacy and the legacy of Maine's environmental stewards by doing all you can to reduce pollution, preserve our environment, protect our natural resources.

There are many events across the state to celebrate Earth Day for families, including nature-themed storytelling, science projects and seed planting, beach cleanups, and trail cleanups.

And like Suzanne and like all of you, I love the state of Maine with its secret waterfalls, its forests and hills and table lands, its fields its shores, its mighty rivers – this unique and beautiful place we call home that offers so many wonders for so many people.

This Earth Day, let's do everything we can to protect it. This is Governor Janet Mills. And thank you for listening.