Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
As your Governor, I promised you I would work hard every day to get things done. Because that’s how I’ve spent my career – working hard and fighting for the people of Maine.
And that's what I've done. I have fought for you every day.
We've been through some tough times together. With your help, I led Maine through a pandemic that threatened the lives and livelihoods of our people, and I am proud to say we succeeded better than nearly every state in the country.
And we've made progress.
Today, our unemployment rate is low, we have more jobs than we did before the pandemic, and our economic growth is 11th best in the nation.
We have expanded lifesaving health care to more than 95,000 people.
We fully funded our schools for the first time in Maine history and gave teachers a pay raise.
We cut taxes for retirees, we delivered property and income tax relief, and put $850 back into your pocket to fight inflation – the strongest inflation relief measure in the country.
We are investing in our workforce and in small businesses.
We’ve balanced every budget and we’ve built up the Rainy Day Fund to a record high — all without raising taxes.
Look, we have been through some challenging times these past few years, and I know there are challenges ahead. Global inflation is hitting us. It’s hurting Maine people. Gas prices are high, and the cost of oil is worrying many of us. We've got a workforce shortage. It’s one that I inherited, but one that I won't leave to our grandchildren to solve.
These are the challenges that are going to be my first order of business next month when the new Legislature convenes.
I promise to keep working with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to support you — the Maine people — and to find ways to put money back into your pocket, to lower costs for you and your family, and to strengthen our economy so that your kids can live a long, happy, and healthy life right here in our state.
We've got more work to do, so let's get to it.
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.