This week, I delivered my 2023 State of the Budget Address to the Joint Convention of the Maine Legislature.

I was pleased to report, to them and to you, that our state stands on a strong fiscal footing, that we are prepared to weather whatever economic challenges may come, and that the state of our budget is strong.

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

According to the independent, nonpartisan Revenue Forecasting Committee, the State of Maine anticipates a total of $10.5 billion in revenue over the next two years, and $11.6 billion in 2026 and ‘27.

These strong revenue projections are the result of economic growth created by Federal support, and deliberate policy and financial choices we made in State government to fuel our recovery from the pandemic and to create the conditions necessary for sustained economic growth.

Over the last four years, our Gross Domestic Product—which is an important measure of economic growth—has increased at the 9th best rate in the country. Even when adjusted for inflation, Maine people are earning more than they were a few years ago – and wages are up about 8 percent. Our unemployment rate has dropped to 3.8 percent, and thousands of new businesses are being created across the state of Maine.

Despite this good news, we know we face real challenges. Even with a strong influx of new residents, we face an alarming shortage of workers.

Well, my guiding belief as Governor is that the foundation of Maine’s economy is our people.

That’s why my biennial budget proposal invests directly in Maine people and in the most important things they need to live and work in Maine.

The budget proposes continuing my free community college initiative for another two years, building more housing and strengthening Maine’s health care system, investing in behavioral health and in services for older Mainers, and in an improved child welfare system. And the budget makes an historic investment in infrastructure to unlock new sources of Federal funding to fix our roads and bridges.

My proposal is balanced. It lives within our means. It does not raise taxes, and it maintains our record-high Rainy Day Fund to protect us against an economic downturn.

In addition to discussing my biennial budget, I also announced a series of actions focused on tackling some of our biggest challenges.

First, I announced that I’ve directed my Energy Office to develop legislation requiring that 100 percent of our electricity come from clean energy sources by 2040 – reducing energy costs for Maine people and creating new jobs and career opportunities.

I called upon the Legislature to pass – and I pledged to sign – a bill that would end chronic homelessness in Maine by expanding the so-called “Housing First” model statewide.

And I announced that in addition to historic resources in my budget for prevention, treatment, and recovery for substance use disorder, we will work to address the opioid crisis and the closely linked scourge of child abuse and neglect, by:

1. Increasing Maine’s purchase and distribution of naloxone by 25 percent.
2. Doubling the number of OPTIONS Liaisons – those folks who join law enforcement on calls related to substance abuse and connect people to treatment and recovery services.
3. Working with the Maine Child Welfare Action Network to develop a new comprehensive plan to keep children safe by keeping families strong.
4. Expanding the number of family recovery courts that work with parents struggling with substance use disorder across our state, and
5. Creating new district court judgeships—four of them—to work through the backlog in the Courts caused by the pandemic.
    

Maine has real challenges, but we also have a plan in the form of my budget proposal and the actions that I have proposed to address these challenges.

I look forward to working with lawmakers of both parties to enact a strong, bipartisan budget worthy of the people we serve, and one that addresses our most pressing needs.

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

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

I believe that the State of Maine and our nation have a sacred obligation to take care of our veterans who’ve served our country and our state so well.

But for too long, many veterans have lacked access to the healthcare that they need and deserve.

That includes access to oral health care, which is often called a “window” into overall health, because of the vital role that dental hygiene can play in preventing other illnesses.

Well, today, fewer than 15 percent of veterans receiving health care through the VA are eligible to receive comprehensive dental care.

An analysis of CDC data in 2021 nationwide found that veterans are more likely than their civilian counterparts to experience significant dental issues. Veterans are also less likely to have visited a dentist in the last five years compared to the rest of the national population.

Well that’s why in 2021, I launched the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network, in partnership with Northeast Delta Dental, and participating dental clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers, to provide dental services to Maine veterans who cannot otherwise not afford them. 

This is an initiative from the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services and Sarah Sherman in particular, and I’m so proud of this undertaking.

Last year, the program enabled 357 Maine veterans to access comprehensive dental services – many of those veterans were seeing a dentist or dental hygienist for the first time since they had separated from the military. But overwhelming demand on this program meant that funding was exhausted before another 232 applicants could receive the care they need.

Well, this week, I was pleased to announce that thanks to a generous $200,000 grant from Northeast Delta Dental, the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network will continue its services for veterans in need.

Funding is available on a first come, first serve basis for any Maine resident veteran who is not otherwise eligible for VA dental benefits or who doesn’t have dental insurance, and who can’t afford to pay for dental care out of pocket. Care is available at 22 different locations from Biddeford to Madawaska.

Veterans who are interested may apply online by visiting: Maine.gov/governor/mills/veteransdental.  That’s Maine.gov/governor/mills/veteransdental.

If you do not have access to the internet, or a veteran you know does not have access and wants more information, please dial (207) 287-6836. That’s (207) 287-6836 – during business hours.

I am truly and deeply grateful to Northeast Delta Dental and to our Maine Bureau of Veterans Services for their incredible organizational work and generosity, that’ll allow this program to continue providing vital dental services to veterans across the state of Maine.

As someone who comes from a military family myself, I am deeply grateful for the service and sacrifice of Maine veterans and their families. My Administration will continue to do everything we can to improve services and to stand by the brave men and women who’ve stood by us in the past.

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

High energy prices – from the cost of electricity to home heating oil to kerosene – have made staying warm this winter difficult for many Maine families.

That’s why I proposed – and signed into law – a Winter Emergency Relief Plan to provide most Maine families with financial assistance to help ease the burden of increased costs.

This week, the State of Maine mailed the first 5,000 payments to Maine people – with thousands more to be distributed in the weeks ahead.

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

We’re seeing higher energy prices because of the volatility of global energy markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and because of Maine’s over-reliance on fossil fuels.

Nearly 60 percent of Maine families rely upon oil to heat their homes, compared to just four percent nationally, making us the most heating oil dependent state in the nation. Meanwhile, the New England electric grid, which supplies power to most of Maine, is also reliant on natural gas to generate electricity.

This makes Maine people especially vulnerable to price increases driven by the global energy market.

Maine needs long-term solutions to bring down the cost of energy and reduce our dependence on expensive fossil fuels – but right now, many of our neighbors urgently need help to stay warm as temperatures drop.

No one should be forced to make the impossible choice of heating their home, or putting food on the table, or paying other necessities. That’s why in December, I proposed the Winter Emergency Relief Plan to put money back in the hands of Maine people as quickly as possible.

And thanks to bipartisan support from the Maine Legislature, most people in Maine will soon receive a $450 check to help ease the burden of increased costs.

These payments follow the same model we enacted for your $850 inflation relief checks last year, so now an estimated 876,000 eligible Maine people will receive a payment – amounting to $900 for the average Maine family, or $450 per individual taxpayer.

Following this week’s initial mailing, checks will be mailed in waves of 200,000 payments per week. For more information, you can visit Maine.gov/EnergyRelief. That’s Maine.gov/EnergyRelief.

In addition to the $450 relief checks, the Emergency Winter Relief Plan also provides:

• $40 million to supplement the Home Energy Assistance Program; and
• $10 million to Maine Community Action Partnerships to deliver emergency fuel assistance and prevent people from running out of heating fuel; it also provides
• $21 million to bolster the Emergency Housing Relief Fund that I created with the Legislature last year that that prevents people from experiencing homelessness this winter.

In the months and years ahead, I look forward to working with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in the Legislature to push for measures to bring down our energy costs over the long-term.

This includes diversifying Maine’s energy sources to reduce electricity prices and transitioning to more efficient heating and cooling technologies, and weatherizing homes. Policies like these will help our climate and will save you money, and keep Maine people warm.

Now, Maine people are used to harsh winters, but this weekend, Maine is forecast to experience an extreme cold like we have not seen in some time, with windchills as low as 60 below zero.

So please take extra precautions, be careful if you go outside, and please check on your friends, family, and neighbors to be sure they’re okay.

To find a warming center near you, please visit Maine Emergency Management’s website at Maine.gov/MEMA or dialing 2-1-1.

Please stay warm and stay safe this weekend.

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

WHEREAS, American history is an essential component of a complete and well-rounded education; and

WHEREAS, the study of history provides us a deeper understanding of our culture and traditions and connects us with events, people, places, and ideas of our country's past; and

WHEREAS, understanding our shared history allows us to make better decisions about our future, and to prevent repeating mistakes of the past; and

WHEREAS, Black History Month, previously known as Negro History Week, was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and first celebrated on February 1, 1926; and

WHEREAS, since 1976, it has become a nationally recognized month-long celebration held to

acknowledge and pay tribute to the contributions made by African Americans to the history of our country that for years were omitted by society and history books; and

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

Maine is a big state as you know, and mostly rural. So, winter weather that can create a lot of challenges for maintaining our infrastructure.

The State of Maine is responsible for supporting the maintenance and upkeep of more than 8,000 miles of highway and 2,800 bridges – not to mention six commercial airports, as well as seaports and railroads.

For years, Maine has been playing catch-up when making investments in the critical infrastructure that Maine people rely on every day to go to work, to go to school, to drive for business or pleasure.

But thanks to smart financial planning and unprecedented federal resources, and a new transportation work plan from my Administration, Maine is finally prepared to make long-overdue investments in our transportation infrastructure. I’m sure you’ll notice!

For years, the Maine Department of Transportation has operated in what Transportation Commissioner Van Note has called “MacGyver Mode” – stretching each dollar as far as it can go to fix problems when they arise.

Well, MaineDOT will always focus on getting the most value out of every dollar, but now, strong state and federal support for infrastructure means that Maine is now in the position to make significant targeted investments in our infrastructure without diverting funds away from the usual repairs and maintenance that Maine people rely on.

In 2021, with the support of Maine’s Congressional Delegation, the Congress passed – and President Biden signed – the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Based on formula funding alone, Maine is expected to receive $1.5 billion over the next five years for highways and bridges.

We know that the average age of our bridges is about 55 years – that’s pretty old. In 2020, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave us a C- overall grade, with a D for roads.

But look, funding under this new federal program though, generally requires a matching contribution from funding often requires a matching contribution from the state, which is why I’ve included $400 million in my biennial budget proposal to ensure that our state can leverage the maximum amount of federal funds to fix those roads and bridges.

This week, the Maine Department of Transportation unveiled a three-year Work Plan to put these historic federal resources – along with the funds allocated by the state – put them to work over the next three years. The plan includes action on nearly 2,600 work items.

They include:

• 302 bridge projects
• 1,178 miles of preservation paving and more than 2,000 miles of light capital paving
• 271 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation – that’s big!
• And 264 highway safety and spot improvements

The plan also invests in Maine communities, with $11 million dedicated to pedestrian safety in communities especially that have seen disproportionate pedestrian crashes.

The plan also improves infrastructure in Maine’s iconic downtowns through the MaineDOT Village Partnership Initiative. That initiative focuses on improving lower-speed areas where Maine people meet, walk, and shop, and downtowns in places like Sanford, Bucksport, Cumberland, Gorham, Monmouth, Monson, Norway, Orono, Presque Isle, Skowhegan, and others.

MaineDOT’s online, interactive plan details these investments—from freight and ferry to airports and seaports. To view this searchable plan, visit Maine.gov/mdot. That’s M-a-i-n-e dot gov backslash m-d-o-t.

This is an exciting time for Maine. These investments will support good-paying jobs and will enhance our safety and quality of life and make our downtowns more beautiful than ever.

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

WHEREAS, January 27, 2023 marks 78 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in German-occupied Poland; and

WHEREAS, today and every day, we remember the six million Jews who lost their lives at the hands of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis; and

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

Well, last week, I shared the bittersweet news that Dr. Nirav Shah will soon leave his post at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to take on a major new national assignment.

In March, Dr. Shah will assume the role of Principal Deputy Director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he will be second in command – second in charge – under Director Rochelle Walensky.

While I’m saddened that we are losing Dr. Shah at the Maine CDC, I take comfort – as all Maine people should – in knowing that the United States CDC, and the American people at large, will become the beneficiaries of his wisdom and leadership.

You know, four years ago, I asked Dr. Shah, under the leadership of Commissioner Lambrew, to undertake the important work of rebuilding the Maine CDC after the previous administration gutted it, leaving Maine people vulnerable in the event of a public health crisis. And fortunately, Dr. Shah hit the ground running, working aggressively to rebuild Maine’s public health infrastructure. As he embarked on his work, none of us could have known that we would soon be faced with the biggest public health challenge in a generation.

But during the darkest and most uncertain days of the pandemic, Dr. Shah was not only a trusted advisor and friend to me – but a trusted advisor and friend to the people of Maine. Think about it. What CDC Director has a chocolate bar named after him? What CDC Director in this country has his own “Fans of Dr. Shah” website – organized by people who just loved to hear him and learn from him.

So, week after week, during his daily briefings, Dr. Shah spoke calmly and directly to the people of Maine. He translated the science that helped keep us safe. He delivered to us the unvarnished truth, as best we knew it, and he answered our questions with compassion, empathy, humor, and a clarity that gave us much-needed hope. And he was a vital part of our COVID Response Team, day after day providing us the most fundamental and deepest research that we could possibly obtain to make the best decisions we could.

And as for the people of Maine, we know when people felt fear and anxiety, he provided humor and compassion. When people felt confusion and felt they were in the dark, he provided straight talk and empathy, and the facts.

I strongly believe that Maine’s nation-leading success in confronting COVID-19 is due in large part to Dr. Shah’s leadership. After all, national experts have said that our health care response in the pandemic was one of the best in the nation. And others have said that our economic recovery was also one of the best in the nation. But there’s no doubt in my mind that Dr. Shah, his work, and the work of people under him at CDC saved the lives of Maine people.

And today, the Maine CDC is much better prepared than it was before for public health challenges that continue to come our way. 

But when it comes to Dr. Shah, our friend, we know that Maine’s loss is our nation’s gain. And we’re thankful for his service, thankful for his willingness to put himself out on the frontlines on the national scene and to become the second in command at the U.S. CDC.

Dr. Shah, on behalf of the 1.3 million people of the state of Maine, I thank you. We raise a Diet Coke to you, listen to our Coldplay songs and our top hits of the Dr. Shah press briefings – and we send our warmest wishes as you prepare to take on this important next assignment.

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

This week, I submitted my proposed budget for the next two years to the Maine State Legislature.

It’s often said that a budget is a statement of values – and that’s why my budget includes meaningful investments in the things that Maine people rely on every day – education, housing, health care, our roads and bridges, and much more.

The Budget proposes these investments without raising taxes, while living within our means, based on projected revenues, and while protecting us against the possibility of a recession. 

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

During the last Legislative session, and in our last two-year budget, we accomplished a great deal. From achieving 55 percent of the cost of education for the first time in Maine history, to fully restoring municipal revenue sharing, to enacting free community college, to overhauling our student debt relief program and providing significant tax relief, providing free school meals, delivering the strongest inflation relief measure in the country – we made incredible bipartisan progress on issues critical to the people of Maine. 

All of that work – and all of these achievements – became the foundation of my next budget proposal. 

I believe that if we want to build a stronger, more prosperous state where opportunity is available to all, then we must invest in the infrastructure that supports our greatest asset: the people of Maine. 

And because the success of Maine children is so vital to our future, education is at the heart of this budget. My proposal once again meets the state’s obligation to pay 55 percent of the cost of education – as the people of Maine directed us to do years ago. 

It also again fully funds free school meals because no child can learn on an empty stomach. 

It continues the expansion of Pre-K across Maine so that kids may have a safe place to learn and grow as their parents go to work during the day; and we continue – for another two years – my free community college initiative, which has resulted in record enrollment at the Maine Community College System.

My budget also takes on Maine’s housing crunch, dedicating $30 million to continue building more housing so that working people have a safe and affordable place to live and to raise their families here in Maine. 

The budget invests in health care and childcare.  It includes an historic $237 million to support mental health and substance use disorder services, and $7 million for prevention, treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder and behavioral health for children. 

Finally, my budget includes historic investments in Maine’s roads and bridges. In 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which makes available more Federal funding for infrastructure projects. This funding often requires a matching contribution from the state and that’s why my budget includes $400 million to help the Maine Department of Transportation leverage as much federal funding as we can to improve our roads and bridges that are in such dire need of repair.

My budget proposal is balanced. It is realistic. It is based solely on projected state revenues, and it does not raise taxes. It leaves the Rainy Day Fund untouched at its record-high of more than $900 million so that the state is protected against an economic downturn.

I look forward to working with the new Legislature as they consider this proposal, and as we continue to work together to make progress on the issues that Maine people have asked us to address. 

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

WHEREAS, the Maine Agricultural Trades Show is the state’s largest farmer-focused business, offering the finest commercial and technical guidance and educational experiences; and

WHEREAS, the Maine Agricultural Trades Show draws more than 1,000 people a year and over 100 ag-related exhibits and is an 80-plus year tradition celebrated during the second week of each January; and