Dem Govs Get It Done: Gov. Janet Mills Announces $90 Utility Bill Credit for Low-Income Maine Families
In her State of the State address last week, Gov. Janet Mills introduced a proposal offering two years of free community college to help Maine students impacted by the pandemic and strengthen the state’s workforce.
Here’s what local media and community members are saying:
- News Center Maine: “Maine’s workforce shortage has been a growing problem for years but has seemingly never been more severe than it is now … Gov. Janet Mills has an idea to change that.”
- WGME: “The proposal is all about keeping students debt-free and getting them into good-paying jobs, especially in industries that are facing workforce shortages.”
- NECN: “The idea, which could apply to around 8,000 people, is meant to help students most impacted by the pandemic and combat Maine’s acute workforce shortage.”
- Portland Press Herald: “The free tuition proposal would be the latest investment in higher education for Mills, who previously allocated about $90 million in federal funding in the American Rescue Plan Act to community colleges, universities and technical education centers.”
- Sun Journal: “More than a dozen students at Central Maine Community College offered the same adjective to describe a new proposal from Gov. Janet Mills to make community college free for many students: ‘Great.’”
- Maine Community College System President David Daigler: “Free community college is a game-changer for these students, and for Maine families who want their children to have the strongest start possible in building a better life.”
“Gov. Janet Mills’ free community college proposal will keep students debt-free while preparing them for the good-paying jobs needed to address Maine’s workforce shortage,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “This historic investment is the latest Gov. Mills’ long record of investing in education, students, and Maine’s workforce. When it comes to the challenges facing everyday Maine people — Gov. Mills continues to deliver.”
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