December 19, 2021 Statement from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki: Senator Manchin’s comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework “in good faith.” On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted—to the President, in person, directly—a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the […]

November 30,2021 By Ramona du Houx Several members of the Maine Legislature attended a summit Tuesday on the mental health crisis in Maine resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took place at the Augusta Civic Center. Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Calais, Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, Rep. Colleen Madigan, D-Waterville, and Rep. Charlotte Warren, D-Hallowell, participated in a panel discussion at the summit to discuss the role of the Maine Legislature in addressing mental health care in the state. “Mental health services in Maine have been under stress for years,” said Rep. Breen. “Unfortunately, like many things, the pandemic has only worsened these problems, creating an increased need for these […]

President Biden’s administration gave the go ahead on a major offshore wind project to supply power to New York, as part of a broader push to build out renewable energy and tackle climate change. The federal government’s approval on November 24 of a dozen wind turbines, located off the coast of Rhode Island, will send power to the eastern end of Long Island. The move inches the country closer to the Biden administration’s goal of generating 30 gigawatts of power from offshore wind energy by the end of the decade. Harnessing the Atlantic’s fierce winds is prominent in the president’s plan to wean the U.S. power sector off fossil fuels, which are dangerously warming the planet At the moment, only seven commercial […]

November 23, 2021 Mills Administration’s plan provides an estimated $126 million for new-hire and retention bonuses for home- and community-based employees Augusta, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills announced today that the Federal government has approved Maine’s plan to allocate an estimated $126 million in MaineCare funds available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for bonuses for new and existing home- and community-based services (HCBS) direct support workers and shared living providers. These payments represent a major component of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) plan to improve access to high-quality services for Maine people of all ages living with disabilities and behavioral health challenges. DHHS received approval of the plan today from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS […]

By Ramona du Houx November 22, 2021 Governor Janet Mills announced that the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) is now accepting applications for Phase 1 of the Forestry Recovery Initiative, a multi-phase grant program to support Maine’s forest products industry and the people it employs, create and sustain jobs in rural Maine, and strengthen the state’s economy. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2022. “These grants will enable the state to provide support to as many timber-related forestry businesses as possible and provide much needed capital to stabilize and aid in the recovery of Maine’s $8.5 billion forest economy,” said Brian Whitney, President of the Maine Technology Institute. “The funding will help us move forward and adapt to address new market demands for the long-term sustainability of this […]

After Decades of Work by Advocates, Build Back Better Makes Live-Changing Investments for Ordinary People The preliminary Build Back Better framework that the White House released has propelled progressives to urge members of Maine’s congressional delegation to ensure a final deal includes all the vital programs that Mainers and Americans need to thrive now and into the future. The Build Back Better framework is a major and historic victory for progressive activists and progressives in Congress, funds vital programs in health care, poverty relief, green jobs, and education, and marks a major advancement in creating a roadmap to citizenship for millions of people living and working essential jobs in the United States. The framework invests about $1.75 trillion in child care, education, […]

Monkitree invites you to “Impressions from Nature in Beeswax” a show of works by Ann Rhinehardt of Vassalboro, Maine. Ann’s paintings are a visual expression of her love of nature, exploring organic forms through color, shape, light and shadow. Working in encaustic, a beeswax-based medium, she creates loosely defined landscapes and abstracts. By adding layer upon layer of wax to each painting, she creates a visual story guided by her emotional and spiritual reactions to the world around her. Vibrant colors peek through the many layers, while other colors play off each other, as she works to convey the atmosphere of that painting.   On the medium, Ann explains, “The nature of encaustic paint allows me to manipulate the surface by […]

Maine is the 4th state in the nation to achieve 80 percent of all residents age 12 and older who are vaccinated Augusta, MAINE – On October 29, 2021 Governor Janet Mills announced that 80 percent of Maine residents who are eligible for a vaccine (ages 12+) are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the U.S. CDC. Maine is the fourth state in the nation to achieve the milestone.  “I applaud the 80 percent of Maine people age 12 and older who have rolled up their sleeves to do what’s right for themselves, their neighbors, and their communities,” said Governor Mills. “With the more dangerous and infectious Delta variant driving serious illness and hospitalizations, especially among those who are unvaccinated, I encourage all Maine […]

October 14, 2021 The US Department of Energy (DOE) is funding four projects with USD 13.5 million to obtain critical environmental and wildlife data to support offshore wind development. The projects will inform offshore wind siting and permitting, and help protect wildlife and fisheries as offshore wind deployment increases under the country’s target of installing 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. Two of the selected projects will support wildlife and fisheries monitoring efforts on the East Coast, while two are focused on preparing the West Coast for floating offshore wind development by collecting wildlife distribution data and developing tools to monitor the environmental effects of floating offshore wind energy.  On the East Coast, Duke University and team, awarded $7.5 million, will assess the risk that […]

10/15/2021  AUGUSTA— The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC)urges residents and visitors to take precautions against disease-carrying deer ticks this fall. Maine experiences a second peak in adult deer tick activity in late September through November. Deer ticks are commonly found in wooded, leafy, and shrubby areas. This may include areas around the yard. Deer ticks can carry the germs that cause diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. These germs spread through the bite of an infected deer tick. As of October 12, 2021, Maine CDC recorded 1,054 cases of Lyme disease, 559 cases of anaplasmosis, 163 cases of babesiosis, and 3 cases of Powassan encephalitis this year. This is a record high for babesiosis cases. […]

Governor pledges continued support for organic dairy farmers at NODPA’s 21st Annual Field Day in Freeport October 1, 2021 Freeport, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills today attended the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance’s (NODPA) 21st Annual Field Day in Freeport where she pledged to continue to fight for Maine’s organic dairy farmers in the wake of a recent notice from Danone of North America that it will discontinue its Horizon contracts with organic dairy farmers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and elsewhere. In her remarks, the Governor paid tribute to Maine’s farmers and said she would continue to fight for their industry. “As the granddaughter of Aroostook County potato farmers, I know firsthand that our farmers are pragmatic, tough, resilient, and driven people. Rising […]

October 4, 2021 The Mills Administration announced guidelines for a competitive grant program to create more coworking and collaborative workspaces to support entrepreneurship in Maine.   The grants will be awarded through the Maine Coworking Development Fund and Program, which was established by the Maine Legislature in 2015 but was not funded until 2019 when Governor Mills, with support from then-Assistant Majority Leader Ryan Fecteau, recognized that coworking is a promising element of entrepreneurship support and recapitalized the Fund with $200,000 in her first and most recent biennial budgets.   “We knew before the pandemic that Maine, with all its strengths, was well-positioned to welcome more remote workers. That’s why in my first budget we funded this grant program to expand coworking spaces,” said Governor Janet Mills. “With the onset of the pandemic, and with our success in keeping our state one of the safest places in the country, our ability to attract remote workers has only grown. Now, through investments like […]