AUGUSTA – The Janet Mills for Governor Campaign launched a new television and digital ad today highlighting Governor Mills’ historic achievement of funding K-12 public education at the full 55 percent, as mandated in state law.

The ad, called “Finally”, spotlights Governor Mills’ unprecedented achievement and her commitment to Maine schools, municipalities, and teachers. Under her Administration, Maine met the 55 percent threshold for the first time since Maine voters passed a referendum in 2004 requiring the state to contribute 55 percent of funding for K-12 public schools. The ad also highlights Governor Mills’ bipartisan work with the State Legislature to raise the minimum teacher salary for the first time in more than a decade.

“For the first time ever, Maine is paying its full share for preK through 12 education,” Governor Mills says in the ad. “We did it by putting politics aside and bringing Democrats, Republicans and Independents together to put our kids first – with more resources in the classroom, better pay for teachers, and property tax relief for homeowners.”

The 30-second ads will run on broadcast and cable in the Portland and Bangor media markets along with digital streaming platforms.

“As Maine families send their children back to school and teachers return to the classroom, they can do so knowing that the State of Maine is finally meeting its obligation to fully fund schools. It’s a promise Governor Mills made, and a promise she kept. That type of bipartisan progress is the hallmark of her Administration and what she’s done time and time again,” said Alexandra Raposo, Campaign Manager for the Janet Mills for Governor Campaign. “From expanding access to health care, to delivering $850 in inflation relief, to fully funding public schools, to building up a record high Rainy Day Fund, Governor Mills has brought together Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to deliver real results for Maine people. This is what Maine people expect from their governor – someone who puts politics aside, works together with people regardless, and puts Maine people first. That’s Janet Mills.”

In the past three years, Governor Mills has led Maine through a public health crisis and a strong economic recovery, achieving some of the best results in the nation.

According to Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine’s GDP – a measure of economic growth – has also grown the 11th fastest in the country over the past three years under Governor Mills. Maine’s population grew at the fastest rate in New England last year and seventh fastest in the nation. Maine’s credit ratings were reaffirmed during the pandemic, and Maine’s Rainy Day Fund is at its highest level ever.

Maine fully recovered all jobs lost during the pandemic, and the state’s unemployment rate has fallen to 2.8 percent, the lowest in two years, putting it below the U.S. and New England averages. Maine was also in the top ten of states (and the only Democratic-led state) in responding to the pandemic, according to a study written by conservative economists.

Her Administration, working in a bipartisan manner with the Legislature, has made historic progress on behalf of Maine, including:

    Delivering one of the strongest relief proposals in the country to help with rising costs, sending back more than half of Maine’s surplus to taxpayers through $850 relief checks
    Expanding health care to more than 95,000 Maine people
    Fully funding Maine schools for the first time in history
    Raising the minimum teacher salary
    Providing free Community College to pandemic impacted students
    Delivering an income tax cut to Maine retirees and tax relief to Maine people
    Conserving working lands and waters through a reinvigorated Land for Maine’s Future Program
    Connecting thousands of homes and businesses to high-speed internet by expanding broadband
    Fighting the climate crisis through the Maine Climate Council
    Combatting property tax increases by fully restoring Municipal Revenue Sharing
    Enacting balanced budgets with no tax increases that return money to Maine people
    Increasing the Budget Stabilization Fund to a record high nearly $900 million dollars
    Spearheading the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to strengthen Maine’s economy and solving the state’s long standing workforce shortage
    And so many more.