Strengthening Health Care, Tackling the Opioid Crisis, Embracing Renewable Energy: Maine Forges Significant Progress in First 100 Days of Mills Administration

Strengthening Health Care, Tackling the Opioid Crisis, Embracing Renewable Energy: Maine Forges Significant Progress in First 100 Days of Mills Administration

During the first 100 days of Governor Janet Mills’ Administration, more than 19,000 people have access to life-saving health care, the state has taken serious steps to address the opioid crisis, and, among other achievements, is embracing renewable energy opportunities in its fight against climate change. Governor Mills released the following statement:

“During my campaign for office, I promised a new, better direction, and in these first one hundred days I believe that is what my administration has delivered. Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 19,000 people across the state now have access to life-saving health coverage, and the influx of federal dollars will help support the financial stability of our rural hospitals. We have taken serious and significant steps to address the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities. We are embracing renewable energy opportunities that will grow our economy and fight climate change, and we are investing in our schools, our teachers, and our students to provide the foundations for greater opportunity.

“I am proud of these accomplishments and am grateful for the work of our talented commissioners, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and the dedicated employees across state government who are helping advance these changes. My Administration will continue to work to rebuild state government, like the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, to ensure that it is effective and responsive to the needs of Maine people, and we will do so responsibly and within our means. Most of all, I will continue to promote Maine as the best place to live, work, and raise a family. It is time we welcome people home.”

Governor Janet Mills’ first full day in office was January 3, 2019. In her first 100 days, her

Administration has achieved significant progress in ensuring Maine people have access to affordable health care, in protecting Maine’s environment and combating climate change, in investing in public education, and in strengthening the economy.

Expanding and Strengthening Health Care: Under Governor Mills, more than 19,000 Maine people now have access to life-saving health care.

• Expanding Medicaid: Putting an end to obstruction and fulfilling the will of Maine people, Governor Mills signed an Executive Order on her first day in office directing her Administration to implement Medicaid expansion. As of April 12, Maine has enrolled 19,125 people in health care coverage under Medicaid expansion. The Mills Administration won the approval of the federal government for Medicaid expansion, locking in more than $800 million in federal funding to cover the cost of this coverage from July 2, 2018 – the effective date of expansion – through state fiscal year 2021.
• Enshrining ACA Health Care Protections In State Law: Governor Mills signed LD 1, An Act to Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families, to codify into state law patient protections outlined in the Affordable Care Act. Among other provisions, this: 1) ensures that no Mainer is denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, 2) prohibits charging seniors substantially higher rates due to age; 3) bans lifetime and annual caps on coverage; 4) allows young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ insurance; and 5) and requires coverage of ten essential health benefits.
• Hiring Public Health Nurses: The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has begun revitalizing the Public Health Nursing program, hiring nine nurses since January, bringing the total program staff to 38 and counting.
• Recertifying Riverview Psychiatric Facility: Following years of work by state employees, the federal government recertified Riverview Psychiatric Center, restarting federal Medicaid reimbursement. Governor Mills also announced that her Administration will use the formerly-proposed step-down facility in Bangor to, instead, offer a new option for inpatient-level care in the state while simultaneously expanding outpatient mental health services.

Fighting the Opioid Epidemic: Under Governor Mills, Maine finally takes action against a crisis that continues to claim hundreds of lives every year.

• Naming an Opioid Response Director & Signing an Executive Order to Fight The Opioid Crisis:Governor Mills named Gordon Smith as the Director of Opioid Response to coordinate the Administration’s response to the epidemic and signed an Executive Order outlining initial actions to be taken, including:
  1. the establishment of the Prevention and Recovery Cabinet;
  2. the distribution of 35,000 units of the life-saving, anti-overdose medication Naloxone to health entities across the state; and
  3. the training of 250 recovery coaches and the funding of a full-time recovery coach in 10 emergency departments across the state to facilitate the movement of more people into treatment programs.
• Convening the Prevention and Recovery Cabinet: Led by Opioid Response Director Smith, the Prevention and Recovery Cabinet, formed of the commissioners of all state agencies plus the Attorney General, the Chief Justice, and two members of the public who have faced addiction challenges themselves met for the first time on April 3, 2019. During the meeting, Smith outlined the Administration’s plan to make Naloxone more readily available through placement in public areas.
• Improving the Opioid Health Home Model: The Department of Health and Human Services has revised and finalized a rule to improve the Opioid Health Home Model, expanding access to critical addiction services.
• Lifting the Cap on Medication Assisted Treatment: Through the supplemental budget, the Mills Administration lifted the two year cap on medication assisted treatment for those fighting substance use disorder.
• Equipping Marine Patrol and Game Wardens with Naloxone: Under the Mills Administration, the Bureau of Marine Patrol has issued Narcan to all Marine Patrol Officers and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has issued Narcan and training to all game Wardens and Warden Service Field Staff.

Combating Climate Change and Protecting Maine’s Environment: Under Governor Mills, Maine has taken swift action to fight climate change and embrace renewable energy opportunities.

• Joining the U.S. Climate Alliance: Governor Mills announced that Maine has joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, making it the 22nd state to join in the effort to meet the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Accord and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent by the year 2025 and by 80 percent by 2050.
• Establishing the Maine Climate Council: Governor Mills announced that she will introduce legislation to establish the Maine Climate Council, which will be responsible for developing an action plan and a timetable to meet our emission reduction goals and to ensure that Maine’s communities and economy are resilient to the effects of climate change. In support of that work, the Department of Environmental Protection worked with stakeholders to issue the Maine Climate Adaptation Workgroup report with recommendations for future state actions.
• Expanding Access to Electric Vehicles & Building Out EV Infrastructure: Governor Mills and Efficiency Maine Trust announced a set of initiatives to expand the use of electric vehicles across Maine in an effort to reduce the state’s carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels. The initiatives, which include the creation of financial incentives to purchase electric vehicles and the installation of at least 50 public vehicle charging stations, are in part the result of a $5.1 million settlement won last year by then-Attorney General Mills against Volkswagen.
• Encouraging the Growth of Solar Power: Governor Mills signed into law LD 91 An Act to Eliminate Gross Metering to reset Maine’s metering policy for solar and ensure that consumers who produce electricity from solar panels will be fairly compensated for supplying excess energy back to the electric grid.
• Promoting Heat Pumps: Governor Mills announced she is launching an initiative to support the installation of 100,000 new heat pumps, a technology that can reduce the use of fossil fuels and save Mainers money in their heating bills. By working with Maine Housing, the Administration will ensure that the use of these technologies will be accessible to lower-income Mainers and seniors.
• Ending Blanket Ban on Wind Power: Governor Mills signed an Executive Order to end a moratorium on wind turbine permits, allowing state agencies to once again do their work with Maine’s local communities and stakeholders to determine which projects should go forward.
• Fighting Offshore Drilling: Governor Mills withdrew the State of Maine from the Outer Continental Shelf Governors Coalition (OCSGC), a group that supports offshore oil and gas drilling, saying its “work promoting the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling is incompatible with Maine’s interests.”
• Modernizing State Government’s Vehicle Fleet: The Department of Administrative and Financial Services’ Bureau of General Services Central Fleet Management is working with Procurement Services to advance the use of alternative fueled vehicles within Maine state government. Bidders are being asked to provide pricing on Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in an effort to promote fuel efficiency, reduce harmful emissions and promote the use of alternatively fueled vehicles.
• Protecting Against PFAS: In response to reports nationwide regarding the prevalence of potentially harmful chemical substances known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Governor Mills signed an Executive Order creating a Governor’s Task Force to mobilize state agencies and other stakeholders to review the prevalence of PFAS in Maine and put forward a plan to address it. The Department of Environmental Protection has also issued a requirement for all generators of biosolids to test for PFAS before those materials can be spread on land.
• Strengthening Water Quality Standards: The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is working with Maine’s tribes to develop a proposal for stronger water quality protections in waters where fishing is conducted for human consumption. DEP is proposing to use the highest fish consumption rate in the country for certain Maine waters when setting limits in discharge licenses.
• Creating the Office of Innovation and the Future: Governor Mills announced the creation of the Office of Innovation and the Future led by former Maine Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree. The Office is charged with diving into major policy challenges including climate change and the opioid epidemic, fostering collaboration and proposing concrete, workable solutions to the state’s problems.

Investing In Public Education: Under Governor Mills, Maine is once again investing in teachers and working to expand educational opportunity to Maine students regardless of zip code.

• Reinstating the Children’s Cabinet: Governor Mills announced she will reinstate the Children’s Cabinet for the first time in years to put Maine children first. The Cabinet will mobilize state government to address challenges including mental health and domestic violence that impact Maine children.
• Investing in K-12 Education: Governor Mills’ budget invests more than $126 million in funding for K-12 education over the biennium ($41 million in FY 2020 and $85 million in FY 2021) and more than $18.5 million in Child Development Services over the biennium.
• Raising Teachers’ Minimum Salary: Governor Mills’ budget proposes increasing the minimum teacher salary to $40,000 per year to help attract and retain teachers in Maine. The current minimum is $30,000, which was set more than a decade ago in 2005.
• Working Towards Universal Pre-K: Governor Mills’ budget proposes funding to begin working towards a voluntary universal pre-K program to provide early education opportunities for Maine children.
• Expediting Teacher Certification: Under Governor Mills, the Maine Department of Education has reduced teacher certification application turnaround to three weeks, an all-time best and far ahead of the industry standard of around 12 weeks.
• Rebuilding Relationships with Maine Schools: After years of inconsistent leadership, the Department of Education is rebuilding and redefining their role as an organization that will inspire and support Maine’s schools and communities in providing the very best education for our children and for our lifelong learners. The Department of Education has initiated a “listening tour” and has, so far, visited administrators and educators in 12 out of the 16 counties with more visits scheduled. The DOE continues to develop trust and positive relationships with Maine’s educational professionals as a result.

Growing Maine’s Economy: Under Governor Mills, Maine’s economy continues to grow along with the national economy and the administration looks to invest in and chart Maine’s economic future.

• Spearheading Statewide Economic Development Strategy: Under Governor Mills, the Department of Economic and Community Development has initiated the first statewide economic development strategy in over 24 years, with an expected November completion date.
• Supporting Small Businesses: Governor Mills’ budget proposes the creation of a virtual Small Business Center to help small businesses leverage existing resources and reduce redundancies.
• Investing in Broadband Expansion: Governor Mills’ budget invests $2 million in the expansion of broadband over the biennium. These funds will be used to match federal, local, and provider investments and triple the investment in connectivity in rural Maine.
• Leveraging Private Funding to Spur Innovation: The Maine Technology Institute has engaged with nearly 200 clients across all 16 Maine counties and has awarded $2.25 million in these first 100 days to nearly 40 different projects across Maine, leveraging over $4.34 million in private-sector matching funds and catalyzing innovation and job creation.

Within the first 100 days, Governor Mills has also nominated – and had confirmed by the Legislature – a cabinet of experienced and qualified individuals. The governor and her administration are continuing to rebuild Maine state government, restore stability, and return civility to help champion and promote the state as the best place to live, work, and raise a family.