Arbor Week, May 15 -21

WHEREAS, forest trees cover eighty-nine percent of Maine’s land, making the state the most heavily forested in the United States; and

WHEREAS, city and town shade trees provide natural beauty, shade, and refreshing health for urban environments; and

WHEREAS, trees can reduce erosion of topsoil by wind and water, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife; and

Turquoise Takeover Week, May 8 - 14

WHEREAS, about every two and a half minutes, a person in the United States is diagnosed with lung cancer; and

WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for women and men; and

WHEREAS, Maine has the 6th highest lung cancer incidence rate in the country and an estimated 1,640 Mainers will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022 alone; and

WHEREAS, lung cancer screening saves lives, and advocacy and increased awareness will result in more high-risk individuals getting screened; and

Foster Care Month, May

WHEREAS, in 1988, the United States Congress, at the request of the National Foster Parent Association, introduced a resolution to proclaim May as National Foster Care Month in recognition of the critical contributions made by foster parents across the nation; and

Mental Health Awareness Month, May

WHEREAS, mental health is an essential component of overall health and wellbeing, and through working together to raise public awareness and reduce stigma around seeking mental health treatment, we can improve the lives of individuals and families experiencing mental health challenges; and

WHEREAS, one in five U.S. adults - about 187,000 Mainers - lives with a mental health condition; and

L.D. 1919, An Act to Encourage Job Growth in the Forest Products Sector through Tax Incentives

130th Legislature of the State of Maine
State House
Augusta, Maine

Dear Honorable Members of the 130th Legislature:

By the authority vested in me by Article IV, Part Third, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Maine, I am hereby vetoing L.D. 1919, An Act to Encourage Job Growth in the Forest Products Sector through Tax Incentives.

L.D. 1338, An Act to Prohibit Employers from Retaliating Against the Use of Earned Paid Leave

The 130th Legislature of the State of Maine 
State House
Augusta, Maine

Dear Honorable Members of the 130th Legislature:

By the Authority conferred by Article IV, Part Third, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Maine, I am hereby vetoing L.D. 1338, An Act to Prohibit Employers from Retaliating Against the Use of Earned Paid Leave.

Governor Mills: I will fight with everything I have to protect reproductive rights.

Earlier this week, a draft opinion by the United States Supreme Court became public. That opinion revealed that the Court apparently has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade completely.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

The Chief Justice of the Court has now confirmed the authenticity of that draft opinion. Although it is not a final ruling, women across Maine and all across America are rightly worried right now – worried that their fundamental right to a safe and legal abortion and to reproductive health care is near its end; worried about what that uncertainty could mean for their health, their lives, and their futures; and worried about what this draft opinion says about the values of our nation and women’s place in it.

They are right to be worried. I know what it means to live in a world without Roe v. Wade.

I grew up in rural, western Maine, in Farmington in the 60s and 70s.

I loved growing up there, and it is still my home today and a big part of who I am, but I have got to tell you – it was by no means a hotbed of women’s rights activism when I came of age.

This was a time when abortion was still illegal, when women across Maine who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant and in need had nowhere to turn. And it was when an abortion, if you could get one, it involved a clandestine, dangerous arrangement.

It was a time when birth control itself was virtually impossible to obtain, especially in rural Maine where the local doctor or the pharmacist was likely to be your neighbor, and when the best method to avoid pregnancy, we were all told, was to be “extremely careful.”

It was a time when women’s health was of secondary concern and it was impolite or out-of-line to discuss reproductive health.

We have come a long way since then. But not without a struggle.

The history of this struggle and the progress we have made, well it’s a history I have been proud to take part in – from co-founding the Maine Women’s Lobby when it was clear that women’s voices were not being heard in Augusta.

To standing up to those who would harass, intimidate, and block women from going to a Planned Parenthood clinic.

To advocating for legislation to make safe abortion available to women across Maine, in rural or medically under-served areas.

But the struggle is far from over.

With this draft decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, forces that would undermine, rollback, or outright eliminate the right to use birth control or to obtain reproductive health care, to obtain a safe and legal abortion are more powerful today than they have been in decades, despite the overwhelming public support for reproductive rights.

Well, I want to be very clear: unlike an apparent majority of the U.S. Supreme Court, I do not consider the rights of women to be dispensable.

I pledge that as long as I am Governor, I will fight with everything I have to protect reproductive rights and to preserve access to reproductive health care in the face of every and any threat to it – whether from politicians in Augusta or Supreme Court Justices in Washington.

My Administration will continue to ensure that every person in this state has access to affordable, high-quality health care and that includes reproductive services and to ensure that they can obtain that care free from harassment and intimidation no matter where they live in Maine. This is my promise.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

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