AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine’s Democratic governor used her first State of the State address on Tuesday to paint a picture of the Pine Tree State as a home of compromise and bipartisanship in an era marked by political gridlock elsewhere.
Gov. Janet Mills themed her address “We are not Washington; we are Maine” and stuck to a theme of working together to improve health care access, protect the environment and grow the economy.
Mills, who has used her first year in office to focus on issues such as Medicaid expansion, tackling climate change and solving the state’s opioid crisis, also ticked off accomplishments that she said show Maine is in good hands.
“We have made progress, and we have done so without rancor or bitterness,” Mills told the crowd in the Maine House of Representatives chambers, also touting “the security and saneness of our own small outpost” during the state’s bicentennial year.
Mills used the address to announce steps to implement an economic development plan for the state. The steps include adding at least $20 million to the state’s budget stabilization fund, proposing $15 million to expand broadband and increasing the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit program to grow businesses.
She also made a few calls on the Maine Legislature to pass new laws designed to improve health care, child protection and education access. They included the Made for Maine Health Coverage Act, which she has said would set “Maine-specific deductibles and copays” that would help Maine residents and small business. She also asked the Legislature to fully fund the higher education budget.
“Higher tuition is the last thing our students need,” she said.
Mills largely stayed away from a controversial plan by Central Maine Power to build a 145-mile hydropower transmission line through western Maine. The proposal is subject to a referendum drive that is geared at stopping it. She has supported the project, and touted the importance of renewable energy on Tuesday.
Mills is heading into a year in which her party hopes to maintain control of both chambers of the Maine Legislature. Mills and the Democrats also have legislative goals.
Republicans in the state have characterized Mills and the Democrats as pushing a political agenda that is politically further left than most Mainers would prefer. Republican spokeswoman Nina McLaughlin has described Mills’ climate plans as a “radical climate agenda” that would be costly for the state.
Despite the governor’s theme of bipartisanship, Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage said Tuesday the Mills “echoed the same tax and spend policies she has pushed since she took office” a year ago.
“Instead of focusing on issues that will better the lives of everyday Mainers, Janet has prioritized special interests and pet projects,” Savage said.
Voters elected Mills in 2018 following eight years of a Republican governor, Paul LePage, who was termed out. Mills served as Maine’s attorney general previous to becoming governor. She is the state’s first woman governor.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.