& STATE OF MAINE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR 1 Stare House Station Aucusta, MaIng et T. Mis 04333-0001 April 17, 2024 Dear Honorable Members of the 131* Legislature: Today is “the 3° Wednesday in April” ~ the date of statutory adjournment for the Legislature, per Maine law. Among other bills, there are two crucial outstanding items in particular that you will attend 10 today; the supplemental budget, as approved by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, and LD 2225, my storm relief bill. ‘There is no time to waste in addressing either of these matters. As you consider how to proceed, T ‘want to be crystal clear about where I stand: 1. Iwill sign the supplemental budget, as approved by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee earlier this week. Despite my concems about the fiscal sustainability of this budget for the next biennium, this budget makes important changes — like improving support for dairy farmers, restoring money to the highway fund, and reversing the rollback of pension benefits ~ and it builds on critical funding for child care, child protection, nursing homes, housing, public safety, and other vital needs that will improve the lives of Maine people. I will sign it into law as is. 2. Iwill yeto LD 2225, ifit arrives at my desk amended. The amendment added to my bill by the Senate, then appropriately removed by the House, is a last-minute, multimillion dollar change crafted outside of the budget process. It does not comport with the supplemental budget, and it entangles more than $100 million of unrelated, ongoing spending with my storm relief bill, which is exactly what I wanted to avoid when I introduced it as a standalone bill months ago. Worse, the amendment will blow a hole in the state budget and force those of you who return next year to cut vital programs — like 55 percent of education, I cannot accept this and will be foreed to veto it. Do not send me an amended version of this bill. 3, L will sign LD 2225, if left intact as the original $60 million intended to provide only storm relief. [also will direct my Administration to be ready at the earliest moment possible to distribute the funding if Republicans opt not to vote for it. I hope they do, though. Send me LD 2225 clean, and I will sign it and we can get to work repairing the damage from these awful storms.You have a lot to consider today, but the path forward is clear: send me the supplemental budget as approved by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the clean version of LD 2225. I will sign both, and the people of Maine deserve both. Let’s not leave here having not delivered for the people of Maine because of unwise actions taken by the Legislature. There is no time to'waste. Please get it done. Sincerely, Ler e— 4 Janet T. Mills. Governor B (® PHONE: (207) 267-3591 (Vote) Try USERS CALL TIL PAX: (207) 287-1034