Gov. Janet Mills

As Maine Gov. Janet Mills takes additional measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, she and other governors are saying residents should brace for a long period of sacrifice to protect public health. But President Donald Trump has begun signaling a dramatically different approach, telling Americans Tuesday that he wants large sections of the economy reopened by mid-April.

The number of coronavirus cases in Maine continues to climb. And now Gov. Janet Mills is taking steps she had originally hoped to avoid, including the mandatory halting of dine-in services at restaurants and bars and a prohibition on gatherings of 10 or more people.

Government scientists told the state's climate council Wednesday that Maine has been reducing its overall emissions of climate-warming pollution over the last several decades. And they say that the carbon-absorbing capacity of Maine's vast forests could ease the road to meeting ambitious goals set by Gov. Janet Mills and the Legislature.

Gov. Janet Mills delivered her first State of the State address Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, Maine Public's Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz talked with Democratic state Senate President Troy Jackson, of Allagash, and House Minority Leader, Republican Kathleen Dillingham, of Oxford, to find out what they thought about the speech, and the policy goals and initiatives Mills laid out.

A new task force will convene for the first time Thursday to consider how and where to lease potentially vast swathes of the Gulf of Maine to offshore wind-energy developers. The outcome could have big consequences for Maine's fishing industry, and for the state's role in the next wave of renewable energy development.

One of the most difficult issues facing lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in the months ahead is how to adequately fund the state’s roads and bridges. The cost of repairs and reconstruction continues to increase, and fuel taxes have not kept pace as Mainers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles.

As part of his continuing series of interviews with Maine news makers, Mal Leary spoke with Gov. Mills about her views on transportation policy.

The Conservation Law Foundation says Maine Gov. Janet Mills "walks the walk" when it comes to climate change. Recently she slammed the Trump administration's move to restrict states' ability to regulate their own air quality.  Maine Public's Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz spoke with Mills about what steps she's taken - beyond creating a climate council - to deal with climate change in Maine.