Governor Janet Mills’ Press Herald Op-Ed: "Thank You for the Privilege of Being Your Governor"

In case you missed it, Governor Janet Mills penned an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald on January 3, 2020, thanking the people of Maine for the privilege of serving as their Governor and celebrating the progress Maine has made during her first year in office.

“A year ago, I invited the people of Maine to ‘rise before the dawn — like the new mist over the Sandy River — and seek adventure, with hope in our hearts and love in our soul for the brand new day.’ Today, on this brand new day in this new year — our bicentennial year — in a brand new decade, I thank you for the privilege of being your Governor, and I invite the people of Maine again to join in an adventure of change, progress and prosperity,” wrote Governor Mills.

In her op-ed, which published on the one year anniversary of her first full day office, Governor Mills reflects on her work to expand life-saving health care for Maine people, to combat the opioid epidemic, to strengthen the economy, and to address climate change. Under Governor Mills’ leadership, Maine has:

• Expanded health care to more than 56,000 people cumulatively through MaineCare expansion and enacted LD 1, ensuring that Maine people will not lose their health insurance due to pre-existing conditions and that their families will have necessary mental health, pediatric care and substance abuse treatment.
• Invested another $115 million in pre-K-12 and adult education and created a path to a $40,000 minimum teacher salary.
• Taken immediate steps to combat the opioid epidemic by providing life-saving naloxone across the state, creating more recovery centers, providing medication assisted treatment to incarcerated individuals, beefing up prevention efforts and training dozens of recovery coaches to turn people’s lives around.
• Revived the Children’s Cabinet and the public health nursing program by hiring dozens of child protection workers, beefing up prenatal care and commencing a Safe Sleep campaign to prevent the deaths of infants.
• Created incentives for residential and community electric vehicles and charging stations.
• Launched a ten-year economic development plan — the first in decades — to stimulate growth, personal income and workforce availability in the coming years, with results that are concrete and measurable.

 
“Today I give thanks to the thousands of people who offered their help — citizens, businesses and legislators from every corner of Maine who gave us ideas about the economy, health care, public safety, climate change and children’s issues; who told us they want to see the state move forward with a civil tone and in a spirit of cooperation,” wrote Governor Mills.

To read Governor Mills’ complete op-ed in the Portland Press Herald, please visit https://www.pressherald.com/2020/01/03/gov-mills-looking-ahead-to-a-new-year-in-maine/. To read more about Governor Mills’ first year in office, please visit https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/year-one-expanding-health-care-strengthening-economy-protecting-environment-first-year.