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

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

Last year, Maine saw our largest decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018. This year, we're continuing to make progress.

From January through September of this year, fatal overdoses declined by more than 23 percent. Well, that's a difference of 87 people, and it looks like the trend will continue.

That's all welcome news. But of course we can't be complacent. Every overdose death is a tragic and preventable loss. So my administration is doing what we can in a responsible manner to stop deadly drugs from reaching Maine in the first place, to prevent addiction, to treat it when we can't prevent it, and to set people on a lifelong path to recovery.

Above all else, we're just working to save lives.

Since I've taken office, the state has distributed more than 760,000 doses of the life-saving medication naloxone. The Office of Attorney General has also distributed 23,000 doses of naloxone, and nearly 12,000 potentially fatal overdoses in Maine have been reversed with that medication.

Simply reversing an overdose, however, is not enough to get somebody back on their feet. It's important to create more places where people can get help to stop using drugs, to be productive, and to reach their full potential. So I've directed my administration to support and to conduct prevention programs in communities across Maine.

For example, in 2024, we sent coaches to five schools in Hancock and Washington counties to lead something we call "Recovery Coaching for Youth." These coaches train young people to recognize the dangers of substance use, to realize how many great things you can do that don't involve drugs or alcohol, and how to manage their own relationships with family members or friends who have substance use disorders. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In 2022, we established the Cumberland County Crisis Receiving Center -- walk-in services for anyone suffering a mental health or substance use crisis. Since that center opened, more than 2,868 people have gotten services there. Soon, we'll be establishing two more centers in Androscoggin and Penobscot counties as well.

We've added residential treatment beds since I've taken office, and we've invested heavily in recovery residences, and community centers, and recovery coaches.

Through our OPTIONS program, we've also placed 32 behavioral health liaisons and 7 recovery coaches in counties across Maine. These people connect people with substance use disorder to different treatment options so they can find the best program for them.

My administration is committed to supporting people as they start, stumble, or resume their recovery -- and responding to the dangerous use of methamphetamines and xylazine for which there is no overdose medication.

I want to do everything we can to keep people from starting down the path of addiction in the first place, but fundamentally, what we need is leadership. Leadership in every community across the state. Leadership from every family. From every young person who's offered a pill to cure pain, everyone who is offered a drug to fix anxiety, or drug to get high, or a drug they think will make them more popular or more accepted.

The leadership and the character to say, you know, "I'm better than that" and "my life is more valuable than that." And the leadership from all of us to tell that person that they are loved, that they are valued, and that their lives are indeed far better than that, and we do value them.

That's how we build a better future with strong communities and a state that offers opportunity -- a state that offers courage, perseverance and compassion.

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

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

It was the summer of 1775, and British war vessels, including the four-gun Margaretta, were sailing into Machias Bay. Some three dozen Maine militiamen commandeered a merchant vessel and overtook the Margaretta with the only weapons they had — axes and pitchforks from their farms. The story goes that when they heard what was happening, a couple of young women brought bags of spoons, cups, and plates that the militia then melted down for ammunition. After a few days, what some call the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was won by a few brave souls from Maine.

Well, I wonder what those men and women thought when just months later, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Navy. This year, as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Navy, as well as the Army and the Marine Corps, I think about the brave people who have defended our nation's freedom for two and a half centuries.

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 proud history of military service, that should come as no surprise. From the Revolutionary War and the Civil War to World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Maine people have always defended our nation and its ideals, and our state has always shouldered its responsibility to serve.

That proud history of military service is also at the heart of my own family. My father served in the Pacific during World War II and survived the biggest battle in naval history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Two of my uncles also served in the Pacific in World War II, and my brother served several tours of duty in Vietnam. And so, as the daughter, niece, and sister of veterans, I pray for the safe return of all Maine people who are deployed overseas right now. And as the Commander-in-Chief of Maine's Armed Forces, I want to do everything I can to protect those service members and their families.

Through the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, we have reestablished the Aides-de-Camp Veterans Advisory Program. We've provided free dental care for veterans in need. We've created the Governor's Challenge to coordinate behavioral health services and prevent suicides by veterans. And we've expanded our homeless veteran coordination team.

We also laid to rest 998 veterans and spouses across Maine's Veterans Memorial Cemetery System last year alone, and we helped veterans file more than 2,500 claims for health care and disability benefits, and we approved more than $13 million dollars in education benefits so veterans could go on to college and university here in Maine.

We've connected hundreds of service members and veterans and their families with resources and benefits, and we've connected veterans to jobs through our annual Hire-A-Vet campaign. With the help of the legislature, we've also kept the Maine Veterans homes open in Caribou and Machias for veterans and their spouses.

At the birth of our nation, brave souls armed with some melted silverware and pitchforks took on the British in Machias Bay to protect the rights and freedoms we now hold most dear. And for more than two-and-a-half centuries, Maine people have defended our state and our nation just as they serve today in deployments around the world.

This Veterans Day, we honor every person who has worn the uniform in defense of our state and nation, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

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

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

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was created by Congress as a bipartisan enactment in the 1960s. Now it has become our country's most important food assistance and nutrition program. Each month, some $29 million in federal funds for SNAP are provided to 170,000 people here in Maine. Nearly 75 percent of Maine's SNAP households include at least one working adult, and more than half include a person with a disability. About 43 percent of the households include an older adult, and over a third include children -- or about 52,000 children.

With the growing cost of heating, fuel, electricity, groceries, housing, many families in Maine are already struggling to get by. Then earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed states that they would not be distributing SNAP benefits in November due to the federal government shutdown. The USDA then said it can't use about $5 billion dollars in emergency funds that Congress already dedicated to SNAP for difficult times exactly like this one -- the same funds they've used in previous shutdowns.

Well, this is a cruel and callous decision that is bound to hurt Maine families, children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. The USDA can and should distribute those emergency funds, and I applaud Attorney General Aaron Frey for joining the multi-state lawsuit to compel them to do so and avoid disastrous harm to Maine people.

This week, I also signed a letter with 20 of my fellow governors to urge the president to authorize the release of the USDA contingency funds before 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP end up going hungry. I'll continue to call on President Trump and the Republicans in Congress to end this unnecessary shutdown, because it's creating uncertainty every day for families across our state and families across the country.

I mean, how can they be more focused on building a $300 million gilded ballroom than feeding millions of hungry kids?

How can they be more focused on scoring political points than providing meals for our seniors?

How can they refuse to take responsibility for providing the most basic government services that people rely on -- heat, health care, food in an emergency?

I'm grateful to Maine people for standing up to help friends and neighbors in this difficult time. Like the dozens of restaurants who announced that they'll provide discounts and free meals to SNAP recipients in need. One business owner in Auburn said, "We're here to provide help. If you come in and need help, you don't need to go through any scrutiny or judgment. Just come in and ask for lunch."

When the federal government fails, Maine will not. When challenges arise, Maine people step up.

This week, I announced that I'll be delivering $1.25 million, including $1 million from my small contingency account and $250,000 generously donated from the John T. Gorman Foundation, to the Good Shepherd Food Bank and to the Area Agencies on Aging, so we can increase food supplies at the food banks and maintain Meals on Wheels and community meals during the shutdown.

We're also adding $10,000 to the Hunters for the Hungry program, which pays the processing costs for hunters who donate bear, deer, and moose meat to food pantries. If you're a hunter and you're interested in helping, email H4H@maine.gov. That's H4H@Maine.gov.

SNAP keeps millions of people from going hungry. The federal government must end this shutdown. But short of that, the USDA must immediately release the contingency funds that Congress provided to SNAP especially for emergencies like this one.

Look, the states are doing all we can to support our people and people who are harmed by this needless federal shutdown. But we shouldn't be in this position. Meanwhile, I encourage you to contact your local food bank, make a donation, and check on your neighbors as well. Let's support each other and support our communities during these hard times.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

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 3,170 licensed NPs in Maine to diagnose, manage, and treat their chronic and acute health care conditions; and

WHEREAS, originally known as Armistice Day in recognition of the end of World War I on November 11th, 1918, the day was officially changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and

WHEREAS, every November, people from across the nation gather to honor and salute veterans who have served our country throughout the years with dedication, patriotism, and courage; and

WHEREAS, 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, institutions that have defended our nation's freedom and upheld our country's values for two and a half centuries; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine has a proud and storied history of military service and one of the highest percentages of veterans in the country, consisting of men and women who share a deep bond built on service and dedication to the United States; and

WHEREAS, children and young people across the State of Maine experience grief after the death of an important person in their life, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, mental, and social well-being; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that 1 in 10 children in Maine will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18, a life-altering event that requires compassionate support from families, schools, organizations, and communities; and

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

On October 25, 2023, the folks at Just-in-Time Recreation and at Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston were just doing what many Maine people do all the time. They were bowling with their kids. They were enjoying a cold beer and a game of cornhole after a long day at work. They were spending time with family and friends when their lives were shattered by gunfire. Eighteen people lost their lives to a senseless act of violence and many others were injured, their loved ones enduring a pain beyond comprehension.

I read a eulogy once that described grief as “the enormity of the room whose doors have now quietly shut.” In the days after that Lewiston tragedy -- when the door to the future was slammed shut for 18 beloved people, our friends, neighbors, family -- our grief felt too great to bear.

Two years later, October 25 remains a difficult day for our state, as it will be for a long time to come. Sometimes loss can be a very lonely experience, especially if other people don't know what to say or what to do to help ease the heartache. But there are people who can help. The Maine Resiliency Center is available to support anyone impacted by the Lewiston tragedy. You can learn more about how to connect with staff via their website, MaineResiliencyCenter.org. If you need to talk to someone right away, you can call the Maine Crisis Line at 9-8-8. And remember, you're not alone.

As we mourn and pay tribute to those we lost two years ago, I hope all Maine people will support the victims’ loved ones, and all those who were injured by showing the love that we have in our hearts for each other.

The same love for each other that Jason Walker, Michael Deslauriers, and Joe Walker demonstrated that night two years ago when they rushed the shooter in a courageous attempt to stop him and lost their lives. And when Tom Giberti instinctively ushered a group of children out the back door of the bowling alley, getting shot up himself, shot seven times in the legs while saving those young lives. And when Mike Roderick turned the lights off at Schemengees to obscure the shooter's vision.

The same love for each other that first responders exemplified when they came from far and wide to help, and which every doctor, nurse and health care worker at Central Maine Medical Center proved when they answered the call of duty and did everything they could to save lives.

The same love for each other that ASL interpreters from near and far displayed when, while reeling from the loss of four of their own, they stepped up to make sure that critical information got to those who are deaf and hard of hearing.

And it's the same love that ordinary people across the State of Maine showed all of us when they put a blue heart in their window, when they placed flowers at a memorial, when they wrote a thank you card, when they did a small act of kindness for someone who needed it most.

The enormity of our grief is surpassed only by the magnitude of our love for each other, the people of Maine. Although nothing can lessen their loss, today we grieve with the families of the victims and the survivors of the Lewiston tragedy so that no one feels alone. We open our hearts to those who were injured and to those who are still struggling with the aftermath of that night. And we offer unending gratitude to the people whose heroic actions saved lives and set us on the long and winding road to healing.

This is Governor Janet Mills. God bless you and God bless the memories of those we lost. And God bless the state of Maine. Thank you.

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

You know, as governor of this great state, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. Embodied in that sacred document is the idea that our country is not governed by any single individual, but by that great equalizer, the rule of law.

A few decades ago, you'll remember that principle was in great danger. Our nation watched as the moral compass of the law was diverted from its North Star by the pranks and practices, the crimes and cover ups, of those who valued political loyalty over their duty to the court and their duty to the Constitution. The President of the United States was forced to resign. Prominent lawyers lost their license to practice law, their very livelihood; and the Attorney General of the United States actually went to prison, all because of the national scandal we refer to very simply today as "Watergate."

Lawyers and law firms are again under tremendous pressure to bow to the demands and financial threats from political powers in D.C. The administration issued executive orders that targeted various law firms by name. Those executive orders suspended security clearances for employees of the firms, barred access to government buildings, and contact with government officials, and terminated government contracts with those firms – all because they once represented clients with whom the president disagreed.

The Administration attacks the court itself when it fails to get its way, using name calling and accusing individual judges of "hating America" and of suffering from a "sick ideology." This is a danger to the separation of powers and to the judiciary itself. Governing by intimidation by any party or person is not what the founders meant when they wrote the Constitution. It is, in fact, the very thing they most feared when they divided power among three co-equal branches of government.

In April, Reagan appointee Judge Harvie Wilkinson III described the recent assault on the legal system and the rule of law with some eloquent but disturbing words: “Now the branches come too close to grinding irrevocably against one another in a conflict that promises to diminish both,” he wrote. “...The Executive may succeed for a time in weakening the courts, but over time, history will script the tragic gap between what was and all that might have been, and law in time will sign its epitaph.” 

Now, in addition to law firms and lawyers, there have been many other threats targeted against businesses, colleges, scientists and researchers; unions, and veterans; threats to social security, health care, medical research, and education. Threats towards cities, states and countries, large and small.

You know, the law is neither red nor blue. It is not owned by any political party, and it is not the tool of any one individual in power. The law, simply, is the greatest achievement of our society. It's the thing that protects all of us, especially the weak and the vulnerable, those who cannot stand up for themselves. And if we stop believing in that great equalizer, the Constitution, if we give up, if we lose faith, then we lose the very thing that protects every one of us at a time when we need it most.

We all must be vigilant to preserve the Constitution of the United States and of this state. We have got to stand up for the rule of law. And whenever and however you do stand up, believe me, you will count for more than you think. Our country will stand taller, our country will be stronger, and the rule of law will thrive.

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