Reflecting on the State of the State address
The State of the State address is an important event that occurs annually at the beginning of each legislative session. The governor comes up from that office on the second floor of the State House and addresses a Joint Convention of the Maine House and Senate in the House Chamber.
The governor gets to highlight the work the Governor’s Office and the Maine State Legislature have done in the past year, talk about their priorities moving forward, and take time to acknowledge and recognize notable Mainers for their service and sacrifice.
This year was Gov. Janet Mills’ first State of the State address. She struck a tone of collaboration, emphasizing that, “We are not Washington, we are Maine.” She urged lawmakers to reject our partisan divisions and work together to get the job done for Mainers.
She talked about tackling some of the biggest challenges we face as a state: The high cost of health care and prescription drugs, the ongoing opioid crisis, domestic violence, child welfare, strengthening education and growing our workforce.
If I had to sum up her remarks in just a few words, I would say “cautiously optimistic.”
The governor also took the opportunity to talk about some of the accomplishments of the past year. She highlighted the new paid leave law that we passed, the law we passed to protect Mainers’ health care coverage, the funds provided to help keep nursing homes open, Medicaid Expansion, the new positions added in the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child and Family Services, increased education funding and more.
She honored a few notable Mainers who we lost this year, including Reps. Dale Denno of Cumberland, Ann Peoples of Westbrook and Archie Verow of Brewer, as well as Maine State Police Detective Benjamin Campbell and Farmington Fire Capt. Michael Bell, who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The families of the deceased attended the address, and were recognized by those in attendance. It was a very touching moment.
The governor also highlighted the need to invest in Career and Technical Education, and her desire to see the Legislature move forward on funding that priority. She asked us to fund upgrades to CTE facilities across the state to help meet our future workforce needs. Similarly, the governor noted that a lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet is holding Maine back and hurting our ability to compete economically.
I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in both parties to make sure we can accomplish these goals and am optimistic that we can get it done.
The State of the State was a reminder that what brings us together is more important than what divides us. As Mainers, we are united by common causes, events and people, and we thrive when we find ways to work together. We do well when we remember that fact.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I want to hear from you. You can reach me by email at James.Dill@legislature.maine.gov or by phone at 207-287-1515. I work for you, and you have a right to hold me accountable.