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Wearing a mask – and Bean boots – Gov. Janet Mills ticked off a list of accomplishments and new initiatives in her State of the State address on Thursday. It was the governor’s first in-person appearance before the full Legislature in more than a year because of COVID-19-related restrictions.
Mills’ speech, viewed by many as a kick-off to her re-election campaign, aimed to remind Mainers of the challenges of the past two years, and how the state has weathered them, which is due in part to her thoughtful leadership through difficult times.
The governor sought to paint a positive picture of Maine as it emerges from the pandemic.
“We have arrived at yet another inflection point in this winding pandemic, a hopeful moment as we welcome downward trends and declining hospitalizations; a warmer, brighter spring as we emerge from a cold, dark winter,” Mills said early in her nearly hour-long speech.
“Yes, we are tired; yes, we are weary, but we are strong. If nothing else, two years of this pandemic have shown us that we are stronger than we ever imagined,” she added.
We appreciate Mills’ positive outlook, but it is somewhat at odds with how Mainers, and Americans, are feeling as the pandemic appears to be easing.
The economy, as is often the case, remains a top concern for many across the country. With inflation rising at a rate not seen in 40 years and energy costs rising sharply this winter, many Mainers are worried about how to afford their daily lives.
The governor touched on these concerns, but didn’t delve into them in detail. She supported a Republican-led call to send half of the state’s projected $822 million to taxpayers through one-time $500 payments to most residents (it is unclear if there will be income eligibility requirements). She spoke of an education stability fund, but offered few details. She announced an initiative to make two years of community college free for high school graduates from 2020 to 2023 and pledged to seek funding to help the University of Maine System avoid tuition increases.
Mills did not talk about a proposal from earlier this week for a $90 credit to help low-income customers pay their electric bills this winter or legislation to hold utilities, like Central Maine Power Co., more accountable through the Public Utilities Commission.
The governor also did not discuss ongoing problems within the state’s child welfare system or her administration’s work to find areas of agreement with Tribes in Maine, although details of these efforts were released this week.
The most fiery moments from the speech came when the governor spoke of her handling of the pandemic. She reminded the audience that Maine has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country (while twice calling on the unvaccinated to get the COVID shots) and that, despite being one of the oldest states in the country, had one of the lowest death rates from the virus. Later, she spoke about her requirement that health care workers in the state be vaccinated, a decision that remains controversial and has been strongly criticized by many Republicans. She ticked off a list of health care groups – including the American Medical Association, Maine Hospital Association and the state’s two largest health care companies – that backed the mandate, which the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block. “They can’t all be wrong,” she said.
The governor also spoke passionately about her action, on her first day in office, to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of low-income working Mainers. Lawmakers and the public had strongly supported the expansion, but it was repeatedly rejected by then-Gov. Paul LePage.
LePage is now running against Mills for an unprecedented third term as governor. Although Mills did not mention LePage in her speech, she was clearly highlighting the differences between their times in office. Mills especially highlighted investments in Maine people during her tenure, including r aising the minimum teacher salary, providing stipends to child care workers and funding to build more affordable housing.
She also sought to remind those Democrats who are frustrated with her relative conservatism of some of the big changes that have occurred during her tenure, including investments in schools, higher education, and broadband. She used the word “progress” 21 times in her speech. That, Maine Public’s Steve Mistler noted, was a likely prod at the state’s progressives, many of whom were annoyed by her vetoes and objections to some of their priorities, including the closure of the state’s youth prison and a bill to limit foreign spending in referendum campaigns.
Mills has ably helped to guide Maine through very challenging and unpredictable times. It was notable that she thanked each of her 15 commissioners – and Dr. Nirav Shah, the head of the Maine Center for Disease Control – on Thursday night, a reminder that state government is much more than one person.
As the governor emphasized, Maine has many challenges ahead. Facing and overcoming those challenges will take all of us working together as we build on Maine’s assets and accomplishments.
