AUGUSTA, Maine — On Wednesday, Jan. 4, Gov. Janet Mills will be sworn in for her second term as governor of the "Pine Tree State." The inauguration starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta.
Mills's inaugural speech will take place at 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed by NEWS CENTER Maine on air and online.
The inauguration will feature original poetry readings and musical performances by Maine artists, including Maine’s Poet Laureate Julia Bouwsma and Richard Blanco, the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history.
The inauguration will also feature musical performances by Dave Mallett, the Pihcintu Multi-National Girls Choir, the Franklin County Fiddlers, the Sockalexis Family Singers, and the 195th Maine Army National Guard Band.
“The inauguration of a governor is about the people of Maine,” Gov. Mills said. “Maine people are kind, hardworking, creative, and, above all else, strong. The talented folks performing at my inauguration are a tribute to the people of our great state, a showcasing of our talents and skills, and a profound reminder of all that is special about Maine.”
Back in the November election of 2022, Gov. Mills beat former Republican Gov. Paul LePage with 55 percent of votes.
"She's done a lot, I think, about the universal school meals bill that we passed together," Maine Senate President Troy Jackson said, speaking about Mills. "The conversations that we've had with people across the state about what that's meant to them. The outpouring of people across the state with her leadership ... That's the type of things that I think are really important for a governor to show that leadership, like these are things that Mainers want, need, and deserve, and we are going to do whatever we have to, to make them happen."
NEWS CENTER Maine's Don Carrigan sat down with Mills on Tuesday, and Mills outlined four priorities for the coming years: education, healthcare, climate change, and always being ready to tackle the unexpected, like she had to do with the pandemic.
The governor said another important issue she will have as a top priority is the health of Maine's lobster industry. Mills said the six-year delay in new federal regulations on lobstering meant to protect right whales is a sigh of relief.
"I had the pleasure of working will all four members of our delegation, and other members of the administration in Washington, to make something happen that was pretty close to a miracle, I think, and now we have some breathing room, we have the ability and the time to do some more research into the right whale[s] and into the lobster industries effect on the right whale[s], and whether we can do anything to help prevent [the] extinction of the right whale[s] without having the extinction of the lobster industry," Mills said.
On Wednesday morning, the legislature is set to vote on an important heating package bill that Jackson said he hopes passes.
"We are taking up the heating package again, I'm hopeful that we are going to pass it this time going into the inauguration," Jackson said. "I certainly like to hear more about what she [Mills] is hoping to do this session, and help people with their heating, their electric costs, things like that that people are struggling with. That package is obviously a huge package and she is doing a lot throughout the gate, but anything else we can do to help people in that regard."
Here is the schedule of events for Wednesday's inauguration ceremony:
- 4:30 p.m.: Doors open.
- 5 p.m.: Pre-inaugural concert (195th Maine Army National Guard Band, Franklin County Fiddlers, Mt. Blue High School, Dave Mallett, Pihcintu Multi-National Girls Choir, Sockalexis Family Singers).
- 6 p.m.: Reconvening of the legislature in convention.
- 6:30 p.m.: Poetry reading and musical performance, invocation, oath of office, proclamation.
- 7 p.m.: Inaugural address by Gov. Mills.
The ceremony is open to the public and tickets are required for entry. Tickets are reserved on a first come, first serve basis until the Augusta Civic Center’s capacity is reached. You can reserve a ticket here.
Those unable to reserve a ticket online can call 207-358-9350 to reserve one, which can then be retrieved at will call.
