You know, when I was growing up in Western Maine, my mother, who was an English teacher, introduced me to our local library and she encouraged me to read books of every kind. Well, at times my favorite things to read were Mad Magazine and sometimes The Weekly Reader. At other times, I read the adventures of Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys, and the Bobbsey Twins.

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

Like many Maine kids, I learned something about self-reliance and about problem-solving from those characters and those books. And I learned about the bravery it took to solve some of those baffling mysteries by Nancy Drew. People of all ages read to go on adventures like I did. Some people read to find acceptance and advice and information. Some read to explore different worlds and to escape their own world for a while. Some read to learn new skills or simply immerse themselves in a great story that captures their imagination.

Reading books and magazines, reading just benefits everyone, but we know it’s also especially important for our children. We know that the simple act of reading out loud to a child stimulates brain development, and it reduces stress and anxiety, it builds vocabulary, it develops the literacy skills a child needs to succeed in school and in life.

Supporting childhood literacy also has significant impacts on our economy. Look, our state needs every person to be able to contribute to society and that starts with giving them skills at an early age, being able to read and write.

My Administration has been working hard to increase early childhood literacy in this state, which is why I was proud to announce last year that we would bring the iconic singer-songwriter Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library program to Maine. The Imagination Library mails more than 2.5 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month.

Every child enrolled in the program receives one book a month from birth to age five - at no cost to their family.

Right now, more than 4,500 children in Maine are receiving Imagination Library books from existing reading programs in their communities. Earlier this week, I was pleased to announce that we are expanding the Imagination Library in Maine, with the goal of bringing the program statewide.

The goal is to enroll sixty-five percent of all age eligible children in Maine, or about 64,000 kids, in the Imagination Library as soon as possible. To do that, we need your help. We need more businesses and school districts, small and large organizations, and individuals to become local Imagination Library affiliates. To learn more about becoming a local affiliate of the Imagination Library, please visit ImaginationLibrary.com. That’s ImaginationLibrary.com.

By becoming a local Imagination Library affiliate, you can help us ensure that every child under the age of five in Maine has access to free books every month and the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Maine is proud to join the family of states that participate in the Imagination Library. And on behalf of all the children of Maine, and the parents, all of whom will be served by this program, I thank Dolly Parton for her investment in our state and in our nation’s children. Whatever else may be going on in their lives, and for whatever reason they read, the Imagination Library will ensure that every child in Maine finds inspiration, education, and joy.

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

Career and Technical Education programs, or CTEs, equip our young people with skills and with hands-on experiences to secure good-paying jobs and have rewarding, life-long careers. Here in Maine, nearly 10,000 students are enrolled in CTE programs.

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

Well, despite the important role that CTEs play in the lives of Maine’s young people, and building the skilled workforce that we need to strengthen our economy, for decades Maine just did not modernize or expand these workforce training programs or provide them with proper equipment.

Well, when I became governor, I decided to change that. I have always been a believer in the power of our CTE systems to provide people with real world skills. 

In fact, nearly ten years ago when I was Attorney General, I settled a case with Bath Fitter, and I used funds from that settlement to begin plumbing programs, new programs at four different Maine high schools. And when I became Governor, I continued to make investments in our CTE system so that it can serve more students. Two years ago, as part of my Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, approved by the legislature, we invested $20 million of federal funds in Maine’s CTEs. First time in decades.

My administration distributed $4.5 million of that investment to the 23 CTEs across Maine so they could purchase and upgrade equipment to prepare students for the high-skilled, in-demand industries that dominate our current economy.

Earlier this year, we distributed another $15 million of that investment to four other Maine CTEs to expand hands on, real word training for our students in plumbing, electrical, building construction, culinary arts, hospitality, EMT programs, welding programs, and others.

This week, I visited Northern Penobscot Tech in Lincoln, Maine to see how they used Jobs Plan funding to expand their welding shop and welding program, purchasing new welding booths, welders, and ventilators. The expansion will allow Northern Penobscot Tech to enroll more students in its welding program, allowing many of those students to receive industry accreditation, earn college credit, and graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the job market or in higher ed. According to the Department of Labor, the average wage for an experienced welder is more than $52,000 a year.

For the students at Northern Penobscot Tech, a welding certification charts a path toward real success, not just financial success alone, but rewarding careers in diverse industries. Someone who has mastered the ability to merge metals and other materials and to create strong, functional structures will always be in high demand.

I want students of any age to be able to learn skills like that, and to earn the credits, credentials, certifications, or college degrees they need to succeed. 

Whether in outdoor rec, registered medical assistant, graphic design, EMS, culinary arts, auto technicians, these are all available to young people in our state. 

We still have more work to do, but we are making important progress, and since 2019, when I took office, CTE enrollment has grown by almost 11 percent. Since 2021, the number of adults in Maine with a credential, including an industry certification, in Maine has increased by two percent to 55 percent of all adults, and that’s higher than the national average. And, since 2022, the number of newly registered apprentices has nearly doubled. 

That’s a good sign, but look, if you can’t see it, you can’t be it. That’s why workforce training programs are so important — modeling a path for young men and young women to a rewarding, life-long career right here in Maine. That’s good for our young people, for our students, and it’s good for our economy.

My Administration will keep doing all we can to support career and technical education programs like the one I visited at Northern Penobscot Tech in Lincoln. I want our students to be prepared to take important, meaningful careers here in Maine.

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

WHEREAS, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was founded on December 1, 1941 in order to mobilize the nation’s civilian aviation resources for national defense; and

WHEREAS, CAP is now 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, 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

WHEREAS, the theme for the 2023 observance, marking forty-two years since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, is “Let Communities Lead,” which recognizes that organizations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response; and

Thanksgiving is a time for Maine people to gather with family and friends, loved ones and neighbors. A time to appreciate life’s blessings, a time to welcome others to our tables, to our homes, and into our hearts.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

Like many Maine people, this holiday season, I am looking forward to turkey, pumpkin pie, squash, maybe green bean casserole. I’m looking forward to sharing time with my daughters, my grandchildren, and pausing at the end of a very busy – and, at times, very hard – year to rest and reflect on things for which I am grateful.

This Thanksgiving, as we share love and laughter with our families and friends, let us also remember there are many who may be struggling this holiday season, especially in the wake of the tragedy in Lewiston. Families across Maine, including those who lost loved ones on October 25th, will be sitting down to a table with an empty chair, and they’ll be feeling immeasurable pain.

Let us, as a people and as a state, continue to extend our love to them and to all those who have been impacted during this incredibly hard time. If you’re interested in helping, please visit our website called “Healing Together.” It’s at Maine.gov/governor/mills. That’s Maine.gov/governor/mills.

On that website, you will find information about how you can support victims and families in Lewiston, and you’ll find organizations involved in the community and in the health care response, and there’s help there for anyone who might be struggling with mental health during this stressful time.

As I reflect on this past year, and particularly this past month, I am grateful that our state is blessed with people who do love and care for one another. People who extend a helping hand when neighbors need it most. You know, people in Maine are known for their independence, and we are certainly resilient, but we know we can rely on each other and ask for help in times of need.

In the seemingly darkest of times – from the pandemic to the tragedy in Lewiston – we have supported and loved one another. And this year, I am grateful for that – and for you, the people of Maine. 

So, as we begin the holiday season, may we hold each other close as family, as friends, grateful for the strength of the people of this state.

I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. With peace and gratitude, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

In today’s world, access to affordable, high-speed internet is as fundamental as electricity, heat, and water. So, if we want a strong economy and thriving state, we’ve simply got to have it.

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

Well, since I’ve taken office, we have worked very hard to expand affordable, high-speed broadband across Maine, especially in rural areas.

And in 2021, I signed landmark legislation to create the Maine Connectivity Authority. That’s a new organization—a new entity—focused on ensuring that every person in our state can access and afford a quality internet connection in order to work, to study, run a business, visit family, or get health care remotely.

In the two years since I signed that legislation, the Connectivity Authority has used state and federal funds to connect over 53,000 homes and businesses to the internet. I’m very proud of that progress and I have promised the Maine people that whoever who wants a high-speed, reliable internet connection will be able to access it by the end of next year.

We are making progress towards modernizing our internet infrastructure thanks to a $272 million grant Maine received under the Biden Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, Program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supported by our Congressional Delegation. That’s the largest grant award Maine has ever received to build out our broadband internet network.

The Connectivity Authority is working hard to expand broadband access across Maine, but an important part of that effort is making sure Maine people can afford it as well. 

That’s why the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, is also very important.

Also created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it made more than 230,000 households in Maine eligible to receive a discount on their broadband bill every month. 

So far, about 94,000 Maine families have enrolled. And that’s good news, but the funding for this important program could run out next April unless Congress acts. 

In short: the households in Maine that just gained access to affordable internet could lose it.

That’s why, earlier this week, I joined twenty-five of my fellow governors on both sides of the aisle to urge Congress to provide more funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

In our joint letter, we wrote that “Closing our nation’s digital divide transcends politics. Whether you live in a rural area, a suburb, or a city, every American needs access to high-speed internet. Preserving the ACP will allow us to build upon the progress we’ve made in expanding connectivity rather than falling behind in a mission we cannot afford to lose.”

So, I will keep pushing along with my fellow governors for more funding for the ACP, but in the meantime, every eligible Maine family should enroll to get a discount of up to $30 a month on their internet bill. Eligibility is based on income – for example, if you are a family of four and your household income is less than $80,000, you qualify for this discount.

You can find out more information about how to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, at getacp.org/maine – that’s getacp.org/maine.

By connecting every corner of Maine to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband, we’ll make our state one of the most competitive and desirable places in the world to live, work, and raise a family. We’re making progress toward reaching that goal, because of critical federal funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

I will continue to stand with my fellow governors in fighting for the federal funding we need to ensure that every American, including people across Maine, can access affordable internet. 

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

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

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role as trusted providers of health care for patients in our state, working to expand health care access in underserved communities and promote health equity in care; and

WHEREAS, patients depend on the 3,147 licensed NPs in Maine to diagnose, manage, and treat their chronic and acute health care conditions; and