Gov. Janet Mills

Maine is required by law to have balanced budget and the Trump domestic policy bill is expected to result in billions in lost federal aid for Medicaid and food assistance. It's unclear when state lawmakers might have to patch such a hole because Republicans delayed implementation of some cuts until after the 2026 midterm elections.

Mills plans to hold onto the legislation, which would have limited how much local and state police in Maine can collaborate with federal immigration agents seeking to round up and deport non-citizens.

Gov. Janet Mills says the reconciliation bill will dramatically shift costs from the federal government to Maine, and those are expenses the state cannot absorb.

The Democratic governor laid out her concerns in a letter to the state's congressional delegation this week as the Senate continues work on the bill, which contains key aspects of President Trump's domestic agenda.

Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed five bills enacted by the Maine Legislature and lawmakers have been unable to muster the two-thirds support needed to override her.

Nearly 300 bills had received initial approval in the House and Senate but were awaiting funding decisions by the budget-writing committee. Lawmakers will vote on more than 80 of those on Wednesday as well as at least five vetoes from Gov. Janet Mills.

House Speaker Ryan Fecteau joined the call to preserve cost-of-living increases for CNAs, home health aides and other workers to avoid worsening the existing staffing shortage.

Mills said it would make steep cuts to Medicaid in order to help fund tax breaks for the wealthy.

Gov. Janet Mills signed the bill into law this week, joining a handful of other states seeking to shield doctors from harassment and potential lawsuits.

The former House Speaker and daughter of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree has led Gov. Janet Mills' Office of Policy Innovation and the Future since 2019. She's frequently mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Mills when the governor's termed out next year.