The day after Christmas, last December, I went over to Togus and visited with some of our honored veterans.

I got to talk to people who had served in all different branches of the military and all different parts of the world, and hear their stories.

And so it is this Memorial Day, I look forward to honoring those who perished to preserve our country and protect our freedoms, and other honored veterans who are still with us.

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

Our state can proudly say that we’re home to one of the highest number of veterans per capita of any state in the country.

When you consider Maine’s long and proud history of military service, I guess that comes as no surprise.

From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Maine people have always stood up to defend our nation and its ideals and our state has shouldered its responsibility to protect our country.

As the daughter, the niece, and the sister of veterans myself, I always mark Memorial Day with both gratitude and grief. Gratitude that my loved ones came home from conflicts around the world and grief for the Maine service members who did not.

As Governor, I have pledged to honor their memory by making sure that Maine better serves our veterans and their families.

Through the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services, we have re-established the Aides-De-Camp veterans’ advisory program; we’ve expanded free dental care for veterans in need; we’ve created the Governor’s Challenge to coordinate behavioral health services and prevent suicides by veterans; we’ve expanded our Homeless Veteran Coordinator team. Any veteran who is struggling to find affordable housing can reach out to the Bureau of Veterans Services for help. And through our Veterans and Community Connection Expos, we have connected hundreds of service members, veterans, and their families with resources, benefits and peer groups to enrich their lives in our great state.

Through the Maine Department of Labor, we’ve connected veterans with employers through our annual Hire-A-Vet campaign; through the state budget, we’ve provided significant property tax relief to Maine veterans; and through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, we’ve kept the Maine Veterans’ Homes in Caribou and Machias open for veterans and their spouses.

Well, I’m proud of that progress, but there is always more we can do to support those who wore the uniform. My Administration will continue to push for better services for all Maine veterans and their families – all of whom have sacrificed so much to keep us safe.

This Memorial Day, let’s honor with reverence all those who have faithfully served our state and our nation in the Armed Forces and those who gave, as President Lincoln said, ‘the last full measure of devotion’.  

To all those who have served and to all those who continue to serve our country: our hearts, our gratitude, are with you this Memorial Day, 2023.

And blessings on those who are in our Veterans’ Homes and in care at our great facility at Togus.

God bless you all, and God bless the State of Maine.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, the Stonewall riots that began on June 28, 1969, sparked the LGBTQ rights movement in America; and

WHEREAS, during these riots, LGBTQ citizens, led by transgender women of color, rose up and resisted police harassment that arose out of discriminatory criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, in the decades since the Stonewall riots, Pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June to commemorate this historic turning point for the LGBTQ community; and

Every day, brave members of Maine’s law enforcement community defend our right to peace and safety in our homes, in our streets, in our woods and waters. They deserve our recognition and our respect.

This week, we also remember the officers who ended their watch protecting and serving every part of our great state as the nation celebrates Peace Officer Memorial Day and National Police Week.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

The eighty-eight individuals whose names are on the memorial in Augusta who gave their lives in service to our state were law enforcement officers ranging from sheriffs and sheriff’s deputies, chiefs of police and patrolmen, park rangers, game wardens, troopers and detectives.

Many of them had already served this country in various wars and branches of the military.

They served Androscoggin County and Auburn, Bath and Bingham, Cumberland and Calais, Millinocket and Mattawamkeag, Paris and Penobscot, Lebanon and Lincoln, Westbrook and Washington, and almost every town and territory in between.

Some were young, like Officer Nathan Desjardins of Fryeburg, who died at the age of twenty in 2017, when his boat crashed on its way to rescue canoeists on the Saco River.

Others were older, like Officer Howard Eye of Calais, who died at the age of 78 in 1951 after a fatal heart attack fr0m breaking up a fight at a local carnival, eleven years after he retired formally from the force.

Some were veterans on the force, like Game Warden Daryl Gordon, who was 60 in 2011 when his plane crashed into Clear Lake in Piscataquis County. He had been with the Warden Service for 25 years.

Some were rookies, like Trooper Frank C. Wing, who was 26 in 1928 when his motorcycle struck a truck while he was on patrol in Millinocket. He had been with the Maine State Police for only two months.

Young and old, veteran and rookie, these men sacrificed their own lives to protect life and property in the State of Maine.

Some of them lost their lives keeping the peace, like Officer Rufus Lishness, age 43, who was shot and killed in Augusta in 1884 trying to arrest a suspect for disturbing the peace. He left his wife and four children.

Some lost their lives defending property, like Officer Charles E. Black, age 28, father of two with another on the way, who was shot and killed—shot five times by robbers in South Berwick in 1964.

Some lost their lives saving others, like Baxter Park Ranger Ralph W. Heath, age 37, who fell from a ledge on his beloved Mt. Katahdin during his second attempt to rescue a lost woman in a snow storm.

Many of these men were taken from us in car accidents and just cruel acts of fate, like Deputy Luke Gross, age 44, and Maine State Police Detective Ben Campbell, age 32, each of whom died in recent years while investigating traffic accidents. 

Who they were, which communities they served, where and how they lost their lives was different, but these members of law enforcement shared the same guiding principal. A principal that governed how they upheld the law, a promise to practice integrity, fairness, compassion, and excellence in the thousand daily acts of heroism they performed on behalf of Maine people.

Well, as District Attorney, as a private attorney for years, as Attorney General, and now as Governor, I see the risks that each one of our law enforcement members take when they assume their duty every day. I see the sacrifice of their loved ones waiting to know if they will come home safe. I see the spirit of our fallen officers embodied in their commitment to serve their community and to keep this state the safest place to work, live, and raise a family.

Let that be their legacy. These souls whose lives were abbreviated by fate, or lost to duty, lost to circumstance, or to misfortune, or to malice, their service dedicated to the rule of law. May we honor the compact they observed – a shared commitment, born of sacrifice and solemnity, to be the best citizens we can be, the most protective, the most unselfish, the most civil in our common humanity and the most caring of our human community.

God bless those departed officers. And if you see a law enforcement officer this weekend, please thank him or her, and tell them to carry on. They have our support.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, emergency medical services is a vital public service; and

WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and

WHEREAS, access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury; and

WHEREAS, registered nurses in the United States constitute our nation’s largest health care profession and are an indispensable component of the safety and quality of care of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients; and

WHEREAS, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession meets the different and emerging health care needs of the people of Maine in a wide range of settings; and

WHEREAS, forest trees cover eighty-nine percent of Maine’s land, making the state the most heavily forested in the United States; and

WHEREAS, city and town shade trees provide natural beauty, shade, and refreshing health for urban environments; and

WHEREAS, trees can reduce erosion of topsoil by wind and water, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife; and

Like many Maine parents across Maine, my husband Stan and I used to sit at our kitchen table, look over our bills, consider our family’s needs, and then budget – making the hard calls on how much of our paychecks to save or spend and what to spend them on.

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

Like Maine families, the State of Maine makes hard decisions about how much to spend and what to spend the public’s money on. Earlier this month, Maine’s nonpartisan Revenue Forecasting Committee upgraded the State’s General Fund revenue forecast by about $223 million just for the current biennium, which ends this June. The Committee also upgraded revenue projections for 2024 and ‘25 by $71 million. The Committee noted, however, that revenues are beginning to plateau after years of significant increases during the pandemic, which we expected. But we aim to live within our means and still address immediate issues impacting Maine people.

Maine’s Constitution requires a balanced budget—that means that these projected surplus revenues must be allocated.

This week, I announced a change package to the budget and to use these projected revenues in a responsible way to address serious, pressing issues – like the housing crunch, homelessness, and food insecurity – while also still making thoughtful, strategic investments to strengthen our economy and make Maine a better place to live in the long-run and encourage businesses to move here and provide good paying jobs.

This legislation includes an additional $50 million, on top of the original $30 million proposed, for a total of $80 million to build more affordable housing for Maine people. That includes $35 million for the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, which is very popular, and $35 million for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Together, these programs are expected to support nearly 500 new housing units statewide.

This legislation also includes an additional $12 million in one-time funding for emergency shelters for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The legislation also establishes the “Housing First Program” to provide so-called “wraparound services” for people living in supportive housing.

The lack of affordable housing is a serious issue holding Maine people back. Another issue threatening the health and well-being of Maine people is food insecurity. The change package includes $2 million in one-time funding to prepare up to 10,000 meals a day for homeless, or sheltered, or other people with food insecurity.

Families struggling to afford housing and food simply can’t succeed. These investments will address the immediate, serious needs of Maine people, but we have to strengthen our economy at the same time to make sure that every person can find and keep a good-paying job that provides for their basic needs.

To expand job training for Maine people, the change package includes $5 million in one-time funding to create a workforce attraction pilot program; expand the Maine Career Exploration program; and enhance job support programs for older workers and people who have disabilities. The change package also includes $2.3 million in ongoing funding for the Maine Apprenticeship program.

To attract good businesses with good jobs to Maine, this legislation package also dedicates some of these revenues to modernize Maine’s business tax credits to reward companies who invest in workforce training.

These are just some of the strategic investments we are making. The legislation also includes funding to support children — doubling the state income tax credit for child care; launching the “Child Safety and Family Well-Being Plan” to prevent abuse and neglect; expanding community services for children with behavioral health needs; renovating schools that need repairs.

The change package also funds critical infrastructure repair, like drinking and wastewater improvements, and culvert replacement, allowing us to draw down more matching Federal funds for projects across the state.

The legislation is in addition to the more than $200 million worth of initiatives we’ve passed that provide tax relief to Maine people – like the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and Property Tax Fairness Credit; the pension deduction, which cuts taxes for retirees; and the expanded Homestead Exemption to help with property taxes. And of course, for the first time in history, we’ve been funding 55 percent of the cost of education and we’re returning more money to towns through municipal revenue sharing, all intended to hold down property taxes.

We’ve proven that we can live within our means, addressing our most pressing issues while making investments in our future, just as Stan and I did for years at the kitchen table every night.

I look forward to working with the Legislature in the coming weeks to enact the change package and make those investments in our state.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening and to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day.

WHEREAS, the State of Maine is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety and essential role our homes, buildings and infrastructure play, both in everyday life and when disasters strike; and

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

You know, since I took office in 2019, Maine’s Gross Domestic Product, which is a key measure of economic growth, has increased by more than 10 percent. That’s the best rate of growth in New England and 9th the best rate of growth in the nation. In fact, Maine has experienced more economic growth over the last four years than it did in the previous fifteen years.

That’s great news – but we could do better. One big thing holding us back is our shortage of appropriately skilled workers. Everywhere I go, business leaders tell me they need more people to work, and right now, there are two available jobs for every person seeking a job in Maine. And with a low unemployment rate of 2.6, it makes it harder to find people eligible and ready to work.

To tackle this challenge, we need to reward companies who make investments in training and incentivize other businesses to begin doing that. So, this week, I introduced bipartisan legislation to do just that.

Back in 2003, when unemployment was high in Maine, legislators created the Pine Tree Development Zone Program to create more jobs. Under that program, eligible businesses could reduce their state taxes for up to ten years by creating new, quality jobs in certain businesses, or by moving existing jobs to Maine.

The Pine Tree Development Zone Program will expire at the end of this year, so now is the perfect time to remodel it and meet the current needs of Maine’s economy.

So, as I said, one of the greatest difficulties is the inability to fill many of the job openings we have with skilled workers. And we also need more private sector capital investment – particularly by businesses in promising, high-growth sectors.

So, my bill tackles these challenges by replacing the Pine Tree Development Zone program with a new one called “Dirigo Business Incentive."

The Dirigo Business Incentive program has a two-pronged approach:

• First, it’ll encourage businesses to train more people to succeed in the workforce by investing in qualified worker training programs.
• Second, it will attract and expand businesses in promising, high-value sectors through tax credits for capital investments.

Under the Dirigo Business Incentive program, businesses that pay to train three or more workers in an approved training program will receive a $2,000 tax credit per worker trained. Businesses across most of Maine would receive up to a 15 percent tax credit for capital investment, or a lower 7.5 percent credit for York, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc counties. 

York and Cumberland counties will be eligible for investment incentives that they are not now generally eligible for under the Pine Tree Zones program. These new credits are specifically targeted towards high-value industries – such as manufacturing, agriculture, aquaculture, logging/forestry, freight, software, and certain professional services like scientific research – so we want to expand and attract these high growth sectors in Maine, and that’s how we do it.

This Dirigo Business Incentive will take effect in 2025, replacing the Pine Tree Zones Program, as well as several other tax credit programs.

For businesses already receiving Pine Tree Zone benefits, they will be able to keep them through the eligibility period and transition into the new program.

Modernizing Maine’s economic development benefits to tie them directly to capital investment and workforce training will allow Maine businesses to invest with confidence, keep Maine competitive with other states, and improve our workforce and strengthen the economy.

I want to thank Senate President Troy Jackson and House Majority Leader Maureen Terry for sponsoring this bill. I look forward to working with the Legislature and a variety of stakeholders so we can take another important step forward in strengthening our economy and improving the lives and livelihoods of all Maine people.

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

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have resided in Maine since colonial times, and today, there are over 12,000 Jews living in our state; and

WHEREAS, Bangor was home to Maine’s first synagogue, established in 1849, as well as the largest Jewish community at the time which consisted of six families; and

WHEREAS, throughout their presence in Maine, Jews have faced antisemitism, frequently called the “world’s oldest hatred” and a scourge that still persists today; and