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Mills to deliver State of the State, outline budget priorities on Feb. 10

Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the Budget address to the Legislature, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, at the State House in Augusta, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP
Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the Budget address to the Legislature, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, at the State House in Augusta, Maine.

Gov. Janet Mills will deliver her State of the State address next month in Augusta during a speech that is expected to include some of the Democrat’s priorities for a budget surplus.

Mills will speak to lawmakers in-person at the State House at 7 p.m. on February 10. That's a change from last year when Mills delivered her speech virtually because of the pandemic.

The State of the State address is a chance for governors to highlight their accomplishments and outline the administration’s priorities before lawmakers. In a release announcing the speech, Mills’ office said the governor will “discuss the challenges Maine is facing, including the impact of the pandemic on the state, (and) outline the actions her administration is taking to strengthen the economy and improve the lives and livelihoods of Maine people.” Mills’ handling of the pandemic is sure to be a focus of her upcoming campaign against Republican former Gov. Paul LePage, who is hoping to win a third, non-consecutive term in the Blaine House.

But Mills will also use the speech to preview some of her priorities for spending – or not spending – a projected $800 million budget surplus.

Mills does not plan to release the details of her supplemental budget proposal until days after the speech, according to her office. But Mills has said she supports giving part of the surplus back to Maine taxpayers while also investing in critical needs. How to do that will be a focus of intense negotiations with Democratic and Republican leaders in the Legislature in the coming months.

Maine Public will carry the State of the State address live on television, on the radio and online at mainepublic.org.