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

You know, choosing to go to college shouldn't trap somebody in decades of debt, with interest rates that snowball until what you owe becomes impossible to pay off. And yet, that is the reality for many people, especially young people, who make good-faith payments on their student loan debt and still struggle to get by.

Three years ago I worked with the Legislature to make Maine's student loan relief program a lot less complicated and more generous -- in fact, it's now one of the most generous debt relief programs in the country.

Unlike our old tax credit that had a lot of complicated criteria, our new student loan repayment tax credit is simple and straightforward. Basically, if you graduated any time after 2007 with a degree in any subject, from any college, community college, or university anywhere, and you now live and work and you pay income taxes in Maine, then you're eligible to save up to $2,500 a year on your student loans.

If you're paying down your student loan, you can claim this credit on your state income taxes and get up to $2,500 to offset some or all of your state income tax. For a couple who are both paying down their student loans it's $2,500 for each of them a year.

For example, a taxpayer who owes the State of Maine $500, but who made $2,500 in eligible student loan payments during the year, would receive a refund of $2,000.

Since we overhauled the student loan relief program we've provided more than $140 million in tax relief to Maine people who can now put that money towards buying a house, raising a family, starting a small business, or just keeping up with more expensive everyday needs, like groceries.

The strength of our economy depends on keeping talented people working in our state and paying taxes here. There's a simple, generous, and clear tax credit to help you pay down your student debt and start or continue a career here in Maine. As the year draws to a close, and as you start to think about filing your taxes for 2025, I strongly, strongly encourage you to consider claiming Maine's student loan repayment tax credit to maximize your savings.

For more information about this tax credit for taxpayers in Maine, please visit maine.gov/revenue. That's maine.gov/revenue.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, Chester Greenwood was born on December 4, 1858 to Zina and Emily Greenwood, who raised their six children on a farm in Farmington, Maine; and

WHEREAS, Chester Greenwood was an avid ice-skater on local, frozen ponds, and struggled as a teenager to keep his ears warm in the winter; and

WHEREAS, that struggle inspired Greenwood to ask his grandmother to sew cloth pads onto a wire ring that he could wrap around his head, thereby inventing modern earmuffs and keeping countless ears warm throughout history; and

WHEREAS, born in Skowhegan on December 14, 1897, Margaret Chase Smith proudly served Maine and the nation as a distinguished leader until her death on May 29, 1995; and

WHEREAS, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1940, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman in the history of our country to be elected to the United States Senate in her own right in 1948, an election that also marked the first time a woman was elected to both houses of Congress; and

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

Let's take a step back through our nation's history for a moment.

In the 1930s, it was the federal government that created the Social Security system, a lifeline for millions of people that was created after the Great Depression. It was in the 1950s that President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, created the Interstate Highway System, also a lifeline, a network of safe roads connecting Americans from coast to coast. It was the federal government that created the Civil Rights Act and sent a man to the moon.

Look, when the federal government finally recognizes the depth of a problem that requires a national solution, it can make historic changes that improve the lives of every American. Yet today, while millions of Americans are unable to afford basic life-saving health care, a universal need that requires federal action, the federal government does nothing. When it comes to one of the most fundamental needs of American families, the federal government is just standing down. In fact, in many respects, they're making health care less affordable, more costly.

Well, here in Maine, we've been working hard to expand health coverage for small businesses, for self-employed people, for families across Maine, and we've tried to make that coverage more affordable. On my first day in office, for instance, I expanded MaineCare in accordance with the will of the people. At one point, more than 100,000 people had health care through MaineCare expansion, which includes preventive care like cancer screenings.

We also expanded health care for children and mental health services across the state. And we enacted the Made for Maine Health Coverage Act, which established the state-based insurance marketplace, CoverME.gov, and which made many preventative care visits either free or at least less costly.

We were doing pretty well, but if the federal government allows enhanced health care tax credits to expire at the end of this month, health coverage for more than 60,000 people in Maine will be unaffordable. I wrote to Maine's Congressional Delegation back in September urging them to extend those tax credits. Now it's Open Enrollment time in Maine -- when people eligible for health insurance can sign up for health insurance for next year under the ACA -- and many people are already seeing their health insurance rates skyrocket.

One man from Cumberland said if his premiums increase, as he expects, health insurance will be the single largest expense for his family -- more than his mortgage. A woman in Dover-Foxcroft said she owns her own mental health practice, and that a loss of insurance reimbursement would make it impossible to keep her doors open. Well, that would not only leave her without a livelihood, but would also leave hundreds of her patients without access to care.

Well, there are so many stories all around Maine like this, and every one of them breaks my heart because it doesn't have to be this way. The bottom line is, without these health insurance tax credits, more people will be forced to go without health insurance because they can't afford it, and they'll delay care until they wind up in the emergency room or with medical debt that lasts a lifetime. Hospitals across Maine will have to bear more of the cost of uncompensated care or uninsured care because of many people going without insurance. Some of those health care providers may have to cut back services or even close, leaving many folks without access to care, and leaving communities without some of their largest employers.

It was good bipartisan federal action in the 1960s that created Medicare. It was bipartisan federal action that brought us the Interstate Highway System, the unemployment system, Social Security. The health care crisis in this country today begs for strong action on the part of the federal government. The time has come to address the health care crisis.

Doctor Jeffrey Barkin, former president of Maine Medical Association, wrote recently in a column: "Getting sick is not partisan. Losing health insurance is not partisan. Bankruptcy is not partisan. Illness does not check who you voted for," he said. "Or how you feel about Congress or whether your state is red or blue. When a child spikes a fever or a parent hears the word cancer, politics fall away. Only people remain."

The President and Congress must extend the enhanced tax credits before they expire to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing for people across our country and people here in Maine -- people who have started their own businesses, gone out on their own with the support of those health care tax credits -- and they can't do without them.

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

To the Members of the Democratic, Green Independent, Libertarian and Republican Committees of Lewiston Residing in Representative District 94.

GREETINGS:

WHEREAS, by the October 31, 2025, resignation of Kristen Cloutier of Lewiston, in the County of Androscoggin, a member of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred and Thirty-second Legislature in District 94, a vacancy has thus been created; and

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

Well, with the Thanksgiving holiday this week, and with Christmas and Hanukkah coming right up, we're in the full swing of the holiday season already. I know that Maine people are looking forward to enjoying time with friends and family this time of year. I am as well. But hey, if you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet -- and you'd be pretty much ahead of the game if you have -- or if you're a bit of a last minute shopper like I am, I want to take the opportunity to encourage you to shop local this holiday season here in Maine.

Maine is home to more than 150,000 small businesses. That's 99 percent of all businesses in our state. Many of them are retail businesses that sell local Maine-made products, and these businesses and their producers are the cornerstones of our downtowns, the employers of our friends and family members, and a big driver of our economy. They need your business. I guarantee you, no matter who you're shopping for, you can find the perfect gift made right here in Maine and sold right here in Maine.

And if you need a little inspiration or information, our state's Maine Made program is a great place to start. All you have to do is visit MaineMade.com. That's MaineMade.com.

From work boots and outdoor accessories at Trader Joe's Outfitters in Presque Isle -- not the grocery store chain -- to handmade flower arrangements at Fiddleheads in Cape Elizabeth, to sundries at the 5&10 General Store in Winter Harbor, to a knitting and wine shop rolled into one at Fiber & Vine in Norway, to sneakers at New Balance in Skowhegan, all kinds of great things are produced right here in Maine.

And did I mention Raye's Mustards in Eastport? Or Marin skincare products developed right at our university research labs? Our online MaineMade.com guide is a good resource for you to find local products that are made and sold all across our state. Check it out!

It may be tempting to go for convenience over craftsmanship this holiday season, but our gift guide will help you find some pretty meaningful and interesting gifts. Something for everybody.

Personally, I'm going to be visiting some of my favorite independent bookstores to find the perfect books for friends. Sherman's up and down the coast, the Briar Patch in Bangor, Devaney Doak & Garrett in Farmington -- all great places to find special books for special people. I also plan to go to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to see their holiday light show, Gardens Aglow, and do some shopping in Boothbay Harbor, and maybe Ogunquit, and maybe Kennebunkport.

And I'll probably stop by Reny's in my hometown of Farmington to find, well, almost anything.

When you buy local, you'll make somebody you care for feel special with a unique gift. You'll also support Maine's small businesses and the thousands of people they employ, and you'll strengthen our economy. You'll be helping people who make these things, and helping their communities remain vibrant as well.

I hope you'll join me in supporting Maine's small businesses this year, especially on Small Business Saturday.

And as always, be sure to check on your neighbors and be kind to one another this season and every season.

This is Governor Janet Mills wishing you a happy, healthy holiday season, and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was founded on December 1, 1941 to mobilize the nation’s civilian aviation resources and today it is the official civilian auxiliary and Total Force Partner of the United States Air Force; and

WHEREAS, CAP’s three primary missions of Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Emergency Services are accomplished by volunteers serving America’s communities, saving lives and shaping futures; and

WHEREAS, Maine-grown Christmas trees stand as a timeless, naturally grown decoration, and the Maine Christmas Tree Association, which cultivates seasonal cheer for Christmas and Solstice by producing authentic Christmas trees and wreath products, stands as the foremost resource for all things related to Christmas trees in the beautiful State of Maine; and

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

You know, next week marks the Thanksgiving holiday, and like many Maine people, I'm very much looking forward to sharing time with my family, my brothers and sister, my grandchildren, and to pausing at the end of a very busy year to just reflect on things for which I am grateful.

I'm grateful that our state is blessed with people who love and care for one another. People who extend a helping hand when neighbors need it most, the people who have been donating to their local food banks, checking in on their neighbors, and supporting their communities during the recent and unnecessary federal shutdown.

As one Lewiston business owner said, "It's really great that the community as a whole is pitching in to help ease the burden on families."

When challenges arise, Maine people do stand up -- in every season. That's no surprise, but it's something I am tremendously proud of. I've seen that incredible spirit of giving up close during my time as governor -- during the pandemic, and following the tragedy in Lewiston, and in the wake of some of the worst storms we've ever seen. We're known for our independence here in Maine, but we also know that we can rely on each other and that we should rely on each other in times of need.

This holiday season will be a time of joy for many people, but it's important for us to remember that some people may be struggling this time of year. Some of our active duty servicemen and women, for instance, will be unable to come home for the holidays. Some folks are mourning the loss of a loved one who will be missing from the table this year. Some people may be having a hard time making ends meet, and some may not have close friends or family to celebrate with, or some may be feeling alone, even in the company of others.

So, as we begin this holiday season, let's hold our family and friends, loved ones and neighbors close. And let's be grateful for the kindness, the compassion and strength of the people of this state.

And if you need food this holiday season, my administration has put up a new food access map where you can find local food pantries and other free food services. You can find that food map at maine.gov/dacf. That's maine.gov/dacf.

So, this Thanksgiving, let's take time to appreciate life's blessings. And let's welcome others to our tables, large and small, and to our homes, wherever they may be, and into our hearts with generosity and grace. I'll be welcoming grandchildren, and family, and friends to my house, and I'll be looking forward to hugging them with all my heart.

I wish all Maine people and their loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, started in 1988 and recognized annually on December 1st, World AIDS Day is a global event to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to honor and support those living with and affected by HIV; and