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

I think I know firsthand the challenges of taking care of kids while parents are juggling the demands of work and the unexpected ups and downs of life. I raised five stepdaughters, all while working full time, and now I'm a grandmother to five.

My two grandsons are getting married and want to remain in Maine to raise families of their own. Parents across Maine need high quality, reliable, and affordable childcare -- not just so they can go to work -- but so they can have the peace of mind to know that their kids are taken care of, and they're able to learn and play in a safe and nurturing place. Making childcare more affordable is good for Maine kids, it's good for working parents, and it's good for our economy.

My administration has invested more than $145 million in state and federal funding to expand child care and early childhood education throughout Maine.

We've expanded Pre-K programs across the state, and we've reached the highest enrollment ever in the 2025-2026 school year.

We've supported the renovation, expansion and building of new child care facilities to create more than 6,100 additional child care slots.

We've raised the salaries of nearly 8,000 child care staff, and we've increased funding for our colleges and universities for them to train hundreds more child care workers to fill those critical jobs.

We've also expanded subsidies to make childcare more affordable for families. Right now, the parents of more than 3,000 children are receiving a subsidy paid directly to their childcare provider through our Child Care Affordability Program, and the amount those families pay out of pocket for childcare is capped at an affordable amount based on their income. Well, earlier this week, I visited a childcare center in Biddeford to thank the staff for their hard work, and to sign legislation to put those caps on the cost of child care and other important reforms into state law, and to keep childcare affordable and accessible for Maine families -- and thanks to Senate President Mattie Daughtry and Senator Henry Ingwersen for those important measures put into law.

Now, one of the biggest obstacles for many people today, including young families, is the high cost of living. Affordability -- from healthcare, housing and utilities to the cost of childcare -- costs are just too high, and Maine people, like millions across the country, are feeling it. Childcare is one of those things.

There's a lot more to do, always more. But we're going to continue to do what we can, where we can, to provide some relief to the people of Maine to make this place more affordable to live, work, and raise a family right here in our great state.

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

WHEREAS, alcohol related issues – including underage drinking, social hosting, binge drinking, impaired driving, and alcohol use disorder – pose significant health challenges to Maine communities and can negatively affect the lives of all Maine people; and

WHEREAS, early prevention and delay of first use is critical to increasing the average age of onset, which reduces the likelihood of alcohol misuse issues later in life; and

WHEREAS, libraries spark creativity, fuel imagination, and inspire lifelong learning; and

WHEREAS, libraries serve as vibrant community hubs, connecting people with knowledge, technology, and resources while fostering civic engagement, critical thinking, and cultural enrichment; and

WHEREAS, Maine law states that an employer may not discriminate between employees in the same establishment on the basis of sex by paying wages to any employee in any occupation in this state at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work on jobs that have comparable requirements relating to skill, effort and responsibility; and

WHEREAS, wage inequality remains an ongoing issue though requirements regarding equal pay have been part of Maine law since 1949; and

WHEREAS, 1 in 31 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and they can achieve independence and live purposeful lives when afforded the support system and opportunities that each and everyone deserves; and

WHEREAS, March 29th, 2026 marks the 53rd anniversary of when the last United States Military unit left Vietnam and the final group of American prisoners of war were freed; and

WHEREAS, 48,000 men and women from the State of Maine served in Vietnam, while an additional 16,000 Mainers were serving worldwide during the Vietnam War era; and

WHEREAS, sexual assault affects people of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds in every Maine community; and

WHEREAS, more than 19,000 people in Maine will experience sexual violence this year, and one in five Mainers will be impacted in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, sexual violence has far-reaching public health and societal costs, with impacts on survivors, their loved ones and their communities, often resulting in mental health struggles, substance use, housing insecurity, lost wages, and healthcare costs; and

WHEREAS, organ donation is a gift that embodies the very essence of compassion, hope, and humanity, and through the selfless decisions of organ donors and their families, lives are not only saved but transformed, creating ripples of healing that extend far beyond the recipients and themselves; and

WHEREAS, one donor can save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life for many more through tissue donation; and

WHEREAS, March 29th, 2026 marks the 53rd anniversary of when the last United States Military unit left Vietnam and the final group of American prisoners of war were freed; and

WHEREAS, 48,000 men and women from the State of Maine served in Vietnam, while an additional 16,000 Mainers were serving worldwide during the Vietnam War era; and

WHEREAS, Maine law states that an employer may not discriminate between employees in the same establishment on the basis of sex by paying wages to any employee in any occupation in this state at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work on jobs that have comparable requirements relating to skill, effort and responsibility; and

WHEREAS, wage inequality remains an ongoing issue though requirements regarding equal pay have been part of Maine law since 1949; and