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

By focusing our efforts things like high-speed internet, and good schools, safe communities, good-paying jobs, and a clean environment — we are attracting new families to our state, and we are strengthening our economy.

That’s good news, but we know that the biggest impediment to our economic growth is a lack of affordable housing for our growing workforce.

Maine’s not alone — the entire country is short millions of units of housing, both for rent and for sale, in part because new housing construction slowed after the Great Recession of 2008 to 2009 and it never truly rebounded.

While this problem is not unique to Maine, at least here we are doing something about it.

In the short term, we’re working with municipal and private organizations on emergency housing to keep people from sleeping on the street, especially during the winter months, and to reduce pressure on local budgets.

At the same time, we are building our housing inventory — something that will increase supply, and reduce prices, and result in good homes for Maine people in the long term.

For example, I signed legislation to create the Affordable Homeownership Program and the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, through MaineHousing, to encourage private developers to build affordable homes for people to purchase or to rent.

So far, the Affordable Homeownership Program has 180 units in the pipeline. And in the current supplemental budget, I’ve proposed $10 million to construct another 130 affordable units statewide.

Separately, the Rural Rental Program has funded 106 new units of rental housing in Maine’s rural communities.

Last week, I was also pleased to sign legislation for MaineHousing to issue more bonds to finance affordable rental housing as well as mortgages for first time homebuyers.

Thanks to this new law, and just a portion of the new funding provided by the biennial budget, construction of 105 new affordable rental homes will start soon in Hallowell, Newcastle, Rockport, Rumford, Sanford, and Waterville.

Taken all together, my Administration has authorized almost $285 million in funds that will support the construction of more apartments and homes across Maine. 

These state and federal funds have resulted in more than 600 new residential units being built so far, with more than 1,000 homes under construction, and more than 2,000 units in the pipeline — the highest number ever in MaineHousing’s history.

Well, I am proud of the progress we have made, and I am committed to continuing to work with all these partners statewide to figure out the best ways to target the resources we have to build more housing in Maine, while at the same time minimizing sprawl and preserving open spaces and our special sense of place in Maine.

Whether someone is experiencing homelessness or seeking a new life in our state; whether a person is retired or working full time; whether a person is looking to rent an apartment in a rural town or buy their first home in the city — there should be a place for everyone in Maine.

For the towns and people in those towns who question whether there should be no new projects in their neighborhoods, there is nothing to fear. We need to work together. The whole state needs you to do your part.

We’ve got to work together to increase the availability of comfortable, affordable housing options across Maine until we can tell every person who wants to live and work here, “welcome home.” 

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening. And to those who celebrate, I wish you a Happy Easter.

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

Well, on April 8th, more than half of the state of Maine will be able to see the total solar eclipse for up to three and a half minutes.

This makes our state the best place in New England and one of the best places in North America to witness this once-in-a-generation event.

We’ve been preparing for this eclipse since last year to make sure Maine makes the most of this great opportunity and the many economic benefits that will come along with it.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency has been coordinating with other state agencies and local, municipal, and county workers to make sure people are safe.

We expect tens of thousands of people to come to Maine to enjoy this great event, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them.

But we also want to make sure the residents and visitors alike can enjoy the eclipse safely anywhere in the state of Maine.

I’d like to share a couple of tips.

First, arrive early at your destination, and because Maine has so much to offer, we encourage visitors to stay late.

If you’re driving, stick to paved and public roads and watch for any disoriented wildlife that may wander to the roadway, especially during the eclipse.

Make sure you have a full tank of gas and paper maps and plenty of snacks and water.

Second, make sure the location you’ve chosen to watch the eclipse from is accessible. For example, Baxter State Park and other state park campgrounds will be closed and dirt roads may be impassable because of muddy conditions. If you plan to hike through the woods to a viewing location, please stay on marked trails and match your level of experience.

Of course, no matter where you go, you should also pack warm clothes because it is April in Maine and the weather is unpredictable. During the eclipse, the temperature may drop as much as ten degrees.

Remember, when you’re enjoying the eclipse, make sure you’re wearing appropriate eye protection. Regular sunglasses won’t do it at all. Eclipse glasses block the sun’s radiation from reaching your eyes and causing permanent damage. You can buy them at stores and you can purchase them online. Be sure to look for the term “ISO-certified.”

Be prepared for the possibility of traffic delays, of course, following the eclipse. A lot of people will be getting back on the road. So please be patient. Be ready. Make sure you have what you need in your vehicle.

Look, a lot of these recommendations don’t come as a surprise. They’re pretty common sense. But they bear repeating so that folks understand the importance of them ahead of time.

If you plan properly, you’re setting yourself up to have a great time and your family too, enjoying this once-in-a-generation event safely. That’s what we want.

These tips and other information about how to safely view the eclipse are available on our Eclipse website at maine.gov/eclipse2024. That’s maine.gov/eclipse2024.

Of course, you don’t have to travel to western or northern Maine to get a great view of the eclipse. Many Maine communities, including Bangor, for instance, will experience a partial eclipse, and there are many eclipse-themed events that are happening in towns across our state. You can find a list of those events on the Maine Office of Tourism’s website at VisitMaine.com. That’s VisitMaine.com.

I know the Astronomy Center staff at the University of Maine will also be hosting public stargazing events and that students from the university will be livestreaming the eclipse with a high-altitude weather balloon launched in hopefully clear skies. So you might be able to watch the eclipse by live streaming as well.

In 1963, during the last total eclipse in Maine, hundreds of thousands of people descended on small towns in Aroostook County with handmade pinhole cameras to witness nature’s most startling phenomenon. Down East Magazine remarked at that time that Maine would not be visited by another total eclipse within the next 200 years. And yet, on Monday, Maine will once again have the best seats in the House for a historic total solar eclipse.

I encourage you to arrive early, stay late, check on traffic. And I look forward to watching this eclipse with all of you on Monday, April 8th.

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

WHEREAS, the State of Maine has experienced a severe spring storm with wet snow, heavy rains and high winds causing extensive tree damage and power outages; and

WHEREAS, fuel delivery crews will need to work continuously to ensure continuity of supply, particularly for generator customers during the storm recovery effort; and

WHEREAS, surviving a crime can have myriad lasting effects on victims, including physical, psychological, social, and financial issues; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to create safe environments for survivors of crime, providing not only support but also access to critical services and, above all, hope; and

WHEREAS, forests cover over eight-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