WHEREAS, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially ending slavery in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the freedom of most slaves depended on the advancement of the Union Army led by General Gordon Granger, who enforced the President’s order in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed; and

WHEREAS, An Act To Create a James Weldon Johnson Annual Observance Day and an Observance Task Force was enacted in Maine on June 20, 2021, to honor the life and perpetuate the legacy of one of our nation’s great Civil Rights leaders, that of the author, educator, journalist, lawyer, and diplomat James Weldon Johnson; and

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

We all know how great a job Career and Technical Education programs do to equip students with the skills and hands-on experiences they need in order to secure good-paying jobs and have rewarding, life-long careers here in Maine.

Despite that, we know that for decades Maine has done way too little to invest in modernizing and expanding this effective model of education.

We see the effects of that neglect today. Maine desperately needs more electricians, plumbers, welders, and other skilled workers.

I’ve always been a believer in the power of our CTE system to teach students real world skills. In fact, nearly ten years ago when I was Attorney General, I used funds obtained through a settlement with Bath Fitter to start plumbing programs at four Maine high schools.

When I became Governor, I continued to make investments in our CTE system so that it can serve more students. Two years ago, the Legislature approved my Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan which invested $20 million in Maine’s CTEs, the first such investment in decades.

My administration recently distributed $4.5 million of that investment to 23 different CTE programs across the state so they can purchase and upgrade equipment, preparing students for high-skilled, in-demand industries.

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

One of the CTEs which received funding was Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, and this week, I was proud to join Biddeford community members in breaking ground on a project to expand their facility—an expansion funded by my Jobs Plan.

Biddeford CTE is using its $7 million in grant funds to build a two-story addition to the existing high school to create a culinary arts and hospitality program and the state’s first athletic training program, as well expanding existing plumbing and emergency medical technician programs.

Biddeford also received additional Jobs Plan funds to purchase two pieces of equipment that’ll allow students to simulate patient experiences and practice their medical skills before graduation.

The three other CTEs who received funds from my Jobs Plan — Northern Penobscot Tech in Lincoln, Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico, and Oxford Hills Technical School — are using these resources to train more students in welding, and culinary arts, and plumbing, and electrical work, healthcare and other occupations.

Today, 27 Career and Technical Education regions and centers are training nearly 10,000 students in 85 different programs. Many of these students will receive industry accreditation, earn college credit, and graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the job market or in higher education.

With this investment from my Jobs Plan, our CTEs will be able to train more students. That’s good for Maine students, it’s good for our economy.

My Administration will keep doing all we can to support the work of the CTEs to prepare our young people to take on important, meaningful careers here in Maine.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, Robert Browne Hall was born into a musical family living in Bowdoinham, Maine on June 30, 1858; and

WHEREAS, R.B. Hall accepted a call to rebuild the Bangor Band in the early 1880s and he accomplished this task with such skill that the grateful citizens on Bangor presented him with a gold Boston Three Star Ne-Plus cornet; and

WHEREAS, older adults contribute expertise, time, wisdom, and experience to our great State and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity; and

WHEREAS, June 15th marks the 17th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older adults and recognize the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue; and

WHEREAS, gardens play a large role in Maine’s economy, providing employment for thousands of people across the State, and generating millions in sales of crops from blueberries and potatoes to flowers and trees; and

WHEREAS, gardens in Maine can range from a few backyard garden beds of roses or vegetables to commercial farms that encompass hundreds of acres; and

WHEREAS, Maine Clean Water Week is celebrated to recognize the value, importance, and need to protect and conserve our water resources; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the State of Maine should be able to rely on a safe and dependable supply of clean water both now and in the future; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine has been blessed with an abundance of clean, safe, and accessible sources of fresh drinking water, a resource precious to all Mainers and a living legacy to be handed on to our children and grandchildren; and

As Washington, D.C. debated paying our nation’s debts this week, independent global companies that issue reports of credit worthiness reaffirmed Maine’s solid financial footing. 

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

Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings – which used to be Standard & Poor’s—global companies that analyze and issue reports of credit worthiness, have affirmed their strong credit ratings on the State of Maine’s general obligation debt. That’s a key measure of their confidence that we could weather an economic downturn with the resources we have on hand. Moody’s affirmed their Aa2 rating and upgraded their outlook from stable to positive. S&P affirmed their AA rating and stable outlook.

S&P applauded Maine’s “good financial policies and budgetary management” as well as our “stable government framework.” Moody’s cited our “strong financial reserves,” writing that “the state's finances will remain in solid shape thanks to strong fiscal governance.” Moody’s attributed its upgrade of Maine’s outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ to Maine’s “continued GDP growth at or above the national rate,” and Maine’s growing population and employment rates.

Since I’ve taken office, Maine’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP, a key measure of economic strength, has grown by 8.8 percent – the 8th best rate of growth in the nation and the best rate of growth in New England. 

Personal income has grown by nearly 20 percent in Maine from 2019 to 2022, the 14th best rate of growth in the country and the best rate of growth in New England.  

Maine’s unemployment rate has dropped to a new record low of 2.4 percent, below the New England average and the U.S. average. 

In 2022, Maine had the 11th highest net in-migration rate, the number of people moving into our state, in the nation and the highest net in-migration rate in New England.  Basically, people coming here from other states.

Maine’s budget is balanced, our Rainy Day Fund is at a record high, our unemployment rate is at a record low, we have a high number of jobs available, and our economy is strong, despite challenges we face.

The positive credit ratings from Moody’s Investor’s Service and S&P Global Ratings confirm our good fiscal management of the state budget and reflect the effectiveness of our policies in strengthening Maine’s economy. 

In addition, we continue to work toward appropriate, reasonable tax incentives for good businesses, high-paying jobs to come here to Maine, upskill our workforce, and give them incentives to train our workforce for the jobs of the future. Things like the Dirigo Business Incentive, in the change package being considered by the Appropriations Committee.

Well, there’s no doubt that we still have some challenges in front of us. We’ll meet them by investing in Maine people to build a stronger, more prosperous state, and we’ll do so while living responsibly within our means. Perhaps Washington D.C. could learn a thing or two from how we do business here in Maine. 

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, Samantha Smith, a Maine native, looked upon the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union with the innocence of a ten-year-old child; and

WHEREAS, through a letter to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov, Samantha Smith expressed her fears of the possible threat of nuclear holocaust; and

WHEREAS, after receiving the letter, Premier Andropov invited Samantha Smith to visit the Soviet Union where she learned that its citizens, especially its children, were very similar to those in Maine; and

WHEREAS, in keeping since 1939, June has been designated as the time to celebrate the bounty of dairy products and pay tribute to U.S. dairy farmers and their contribution to and important role in agriculture; and

WHEREAS, two hundred and twenty-seven Maine dairy farms care for herds of cows, goats, and sheep and steward 700 thousand acres of desirable and critical farmland, which also provide numerous public benefits in addition to agricultural products, such as scenic and open spaces that enhance their communities; and