WHEREAS, since its inception in 1976, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program has helped to lower energy costs for more than 7 million low-income households, including thousands in Maine; and

WHEREAS, Community Concepts, Inc., headquartered in Lewiston, was credited for having the first ever weatherization program in the nation by the U.S. Department of Energy; and

WHEREAS, eighty-nine percent of Maine's land is forested, making it the most forested state by proportion in the United States; and

WHEREAS, of Maine's 17.6 million forested acres, including the largest contiguous block of undeveloped forestland east of the Mississippi River, 15.9 million acres are private, productive timberland; and

WHEREAS, Maine's approximately 86,000 private woodland owners, of whom over 75,000 manage more than 10 acres, all play a vital role in the future of the forest industry; and

WHEREAS, domestic abuse and violence are serious injustices that affect people and families of all races, ages, genders and income levels; and

WHEREAS, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men has experienced abuse and violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, and trans and gender non-binary people experience abuse from partners at disproportionate rates; and

WHEREAS, each year, nearly half of all homicides in Maine are related to domestic abuse and violence; and

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

Some years ago, there was a young woman who dated a man who was handsome and charming and smart, and she was in love with him. The man was also an alcoholic, as it turned out. And one night in a drunken rage, that man held a gun to her head. 

The gun did not go off.  She was alone in a strange city and had no place to go. She packed her bags and left that place and never turned back.

The rest of the story is that that young woman went to law school. She became a prosecutor, later the Attorney General and now the Governor of the State of Maine.

Yes, I was one of the lucky ones. Many others who experience domestic abuse are not so lucky.

So, to make sure that Maine women who have experienced, or who are experiencing domestic abuse—make sure that they know they’re not alone, and know that escape from violence is possible, I have declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Maine.

Here are some things that you ought to know about domestic abuse and domestic violence:

• Domestic abuse and domestic violence affect people and families of all races, ages, genders and income levels.
• Nationwide, one in four women and one in seven men has experienced abuse and violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. And, transgender and gender non-binary people experience a disproportionately high rate of domestic abuse and violence from their partners.
• In Maine, nearly half of all homicides are related to domestic abuse every year. And more than 14,000 people who are affected by domestic violence reach out for help every year.

We can prevent domestic abuse and domestic violence in Maine by spreading awareness, by improving public policies to better support people affected by abuse, and by holding perpetrators accountable. 

Every day, but especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, may we all do our part to spread awareness about domestic abuse, to challenge the behavior of abusive people, and to support survivors of domestic abuse, whoever they may be. 

Together, our individual actions are what will end domestic abuse in the State of Maine.

So, if you, or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please call the Statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline at 1-866-834-HELP. That’s 1-866-834-HELP.

You are not alone and escape from violence is possible.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

My Administration has been focusing on improving the things that people need to live and work in Maine successfully. Things like high-speed internet, good schools, safe communities, good-paying jobs, and a clean environment. Those efforts are attracting new families to our state and strengthening our economy.

That’s all good news, but one of the greatest impediments to our economic growth is the lack of affordable housing for our growing workforce.

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

Earlier this week, we released a study that describes causes of our housing shortage and identifies housing goals that would support our expanding workforce strengthen our economy based on current projections.

That study makes clear that Maine has a large unmet need now of housing, and, an increasing need for more homes over the coming decade.

Of course, Maine is not alone in this housing shortage. The entire country is short millions of homes, both for rent and for sale, in part because new housing construction slowed down after the recession of 2008 to 2009 and it never truly rebounded.

Still, while states across the country are struggling with a housing shortage, Maine is one of the few states that is doing something about it.

We’ve been focused on building more workforce housing and more housing in general, on rehabbing and restoring our housing stock, on strengthening emergency shelters and support services to make sure every person in Maine has a safe place to sleep at night.

Since I took office in 2019, we have authorized nearly $285 million, an unprecedented amount of money, to incentivize the building of more apartments and homes. These state and federal funds have now built 618 new homes, with 1,126 homes under construction, and 2,187 more homes in the pipeline.

While we welcome the development of new housing statewide, we’ve focused on affordable housing for people of all incomes, especially in rural Maine.

• For example, I signed legislation to create the State Affordable Housing Tax Credit. Budgeted at $80 million, that tax credit was the largest single investment in housing in Maine’s history.
• I signed legislation to create the Affordable Homeownership Program and the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program to provide housing in rural Maine.
• I signed legislation to address our outdated zoning restrictions and allow the building of “accessory dwelling units,” or what I call “in-law” apartments, so homeowners can build new units on their property, at the same time limiting sprawl.
• I signed the affordable senior housing bond as soon as I took office to build more affordable housing units and weatherize homes for low-income seniors.
• I used federal funding to install heat pumps in mobile homes and weatherize those homes to bring down the energy costs for low-income families.
• I signed legislation to adopt the highly successful “housing first” model to address the needs of people experiencing chronic homelessness, many of whom are suffering from acute mental health and/or substance use disorder.
• And I dedicated funding to address the needs of asylum seekers as they transition to their new lives so that they can enter the workforce as quickly as possible.

I am proud of the progress we have made on housing, but it’s clear that work remains. This new housing report shows without a doubt that the need for affordable housing in Maine is serious, and it’s growing.

I read something recently that said, “home wasn’t built in a day,” and I agree. Ultimately, we want to build permanent, affordable, comfortable housing for all who need it or who want it here in Maine, so that all people can become productive citizens and live and work and raise a family here in our state.

That may mean transforming existing buildings, that may mean taking old schoolhouses and turning them into rental apartments. It may mean more boarding homes of the sort that I used to see when I was growing up in Farmington. Workforce housing of a variety of sorts. And affordable housing. And housing, certainly for Maine’s seniors. Comfortable, safe, affordable housing.

My Administration will continue that work until we can tell every person who wants to live in Maine, “welcome home.”

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, manufacturing in Maine plays a critical role in the lives of our citizens and the operation of our businesses, and our state has a significant interest in the continued vitality of manufacturing, educational institutions, and organizations; and

WHEREAS, communities in Maine depend on high wage, high-skilled jobs and tax bases for the continued flow of commerce to and from our state; and

WHEREAS, October was first established as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1985 to educate the public about breast cancer and the importance of early detection and access to timely, high-quality care; and

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

WHEREAS, in 2020, 1,245 Maine women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 196 died from the disease; and

WHEREAS, in honor of the brave men and women who protect the life and property of Maine people, the State of Maine and its citizens observe the first Saturday in October as Firefighter’s Recognition Day in accordance with Sec. 1 MRSA § 135; and

WHEREAS, Maine has over three hundred thirty fire departments across the state dedicated to keeping our communities safe through fire response, medical emergencies, search and rescue, fire prevention, and code enforcement; and

Electric Grid Upgrades for Maine Businesses

Access to a reliable energy supply is critical for businesses large and small all across Maine, but especially in rural parts of our state, and in our heritage industries that are at the heart of our economy.

For instance, farms use a lot of energy to operate machinery and prepare and irrigate and plant their fields, and sawmills use energy to convert logs into lumber and create other wood-based products. Seafood processors use energy to freeze their product.

Building a strong electric grid for businesses who need a significant supply of energy will strengthen those businesses and strengthen our economy, especially in rural Maine.

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

To ensure that our small businesses have the supply of energy they need to expand, earlier this week I announced that I am dedicating $6.5 million to electrical grid upgrades in rural Maine.

Using federal funding through my Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Governor’s Energy Office, and the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), will provide funds for electric grid upgrades for small businesses especially, with an emphasis on rural, energy-intensive industries, such as agricultural and food systems, seafood harvesting, forestry, manufacturing, and housing.

By upgrading their electric grid, businesses can count on a stable supply of energy despite any disruptions to the global energy supply, like the ones we saw this past year related to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

It is our hope that these grants will allow businesses to grow their operations, improve efficiency, expand their facilities, or increase their workforce, or all of the above.

Companies can learn more about their eligibility for this program by visiting MTI’s website at MaineTechnology.org.

That’s MaineTechnology.org.

This new grant program builds on other actions my Administration has taken to improve our energy supply and support people and businesses who are grappling with increased heating fuel and electricity prices.

For instance:

• In the last year, we returned more than half of the state’s budget surplus to Maine people through $850 inflation relief checks;
• We also successfully pressed for increased funding for Federal heating assistance programs to help Maine households with oil bills last winter;
• We opposed electricity rate increases sought by CMP and Versant;
• We secured a one-time bill credit of $90 for tens of thousands of low-income customers of CMP and Versant;
• We provided $800 in heating cost relief to nearly 13,000 low-income households to help pay for high energy costs;
• We provided up to $1,400 in tax relief for eligible low- and middle-income families and seniors;
• And we funded programs to increase energy efficiency in schools and public buildings through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.

My Administration will continue to do all we can to help Maine businesses and Maine people deal with high energy prices and to build a stronger electric grid so we can generate more of the energy we need right here at home.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

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