Last night, Janet Mills delivered her first in-person State of the State address since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, declaring that, “the state of our state is strong, and it is growing stronger.” The speech not only outlined the progress the Governor and Democrats in the legislature have made over the last year, but also included a number of landmark policy proposals that dominated Maine headlines this morning.
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WGME: Gov. Mills proposes sweeping investments in education, health care during annual address
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Portland Press Herald: Gov. Mills calls for $500 checks to Maine residents, investments in education and health care
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Maine Public: Mills touts direct payments, 2 free years of community college in State of the State address
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NewsCenter Maine: Gov. Mills to give $411M from surplus back to the people
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Bangor Daily News: Janet Mills uses election-year address to meet GOP demand for $500 relief checks
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Portland Press Herald: Gov. Mills unveils $20 million plan for free tuition at Maine community colleges
In addition to making headlines, the speech received high praise.
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“Tonight, Governor Mills made clear that she is committed to working with all of us — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — to get things done and give Mainers the life they deserve,” said Maine Senate President Troy Jackson.
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“Tonight, the Governor underscored her commitment to responsible governing, showing she is both looking to the future and tackling the immediate challenges facing families,” said Speaker of the Maine House Ryan Fecteau.
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“From her nation-leading response to the pandemic to her commitment to expand health care access, tonight’s address by the Governor laid out not just how much we’ve accomplished so far, but how much progress we will make in the next year,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Drew Gattine.
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Applause was also heaped on the governor from a huge number of organizations across the state, from Maine’s University system to Chamber of Commerce to AARP to many more.
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Even some Republicans seemed impressed–the Bangor Daily News described a number of top legislative Republicans as “cautiously favorable” of the Governor’s support for bipartisan proposals such as direct relief checks and revamping Maine’s student loan relief program.
With the Governor’s address and plan for the upcoming year such a resounding hit, Paul LePage and his campaign team flailed around looking for a way to respond. After his and Republican Party staffers littered the internet with strange attacks on the speech–including one assailing pay raises for Maine’s teachers–LePage released a statement characterizing the time-honored custom as a “re-election campaign speech in a building full of political insiders.” LePage also attacked Mills for using money from the federal government to help Mainers, indicating that, if re-elected, he might once again forfeit federal funds.
“Governor Mills showed last night how her leadership is delivering progress for the people of Maine,” said Gaetan Davis, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party. “By going against members of his own party to attack that progress, Paul LePage showed just how out of touch he is with the needs of our state. We can’t let LePage use his lies and political attacks to drag us backward.”
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