A New Deal for Maine

As a student of history, I’m drawn to the past for inspiration in challenging moments. I’ve been thinking a lot about the 1930s. When FDR took office, the shadow of fascism was lengthening across Europe, and at home, the United States was gripped by the most devastating economic depression we had ever faced. The future of America was uncertain, to put it mildly. 

And then, one Mainer changed everything. 

When FDR asked Frances Perkins to be his Secretary of Labor, she didn't just accept the honor. She arrived at his home with a list of "practical possibilities"—a bold, non-negotiable agenda. She told him she wouldn't take the job unless he committed to a federal minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and a program for Social Security. Together, they created the New Deal, reshaping the American economy and ushering in the largest period of economic growth since the industrial revolution. 

I’ve spent the  past few months on a listening tour of Maine, hearing about what keeps people up at night, what’s holding them back, and what they dream for their children. I’ve heard about ways the state is making life better – and the ways in which we’re falling short.

I know the challenges we face are large. Our rights are under attack, our institutions are failing, and too many Mainers are just one emergency away from collapse. We need a bold new vision for what Maine could look like, not just three years from now but 10 or 50 years down the road. 

That’s why I’m proposing A New Deal for Maine. 

Over the next few months I’ll share ideas about ways we can reshape the future of our state – ideas that came from Mainers themselves. Together, we will create:

  • A new deal for Maine where Mainers don’t have to choose between paying for heat, feeding their families, or staying in their homes.

  • A new deal for Maine where everyone has access to healthcare they can afford and a doctor within reach.

  • A new deal for Maine where every child has access to a quality public education and teachers don’t have to work two or three jobs to provide for their families.

  • As Governor, I will roll out A New Deal For Our Economy that will lower property taxes on primary residences, cut utility costs, boost our housing supply, and provide opportunities for new businesses and entrepreneurship. And we’ll pay for it by making the wealthy pay their fair share.

    As I travel the state, one thing stands out over and over again: rising costs have made life unaffordable for too many of our neighbors. Whether it’s high property taxes, rising rents, or increased utility costs, too many people are struggling to make it to the end of the month.

    Together we’ll lower costs for working families by: 

    • Utility Costs: 

      • Cappi the rate of return to 6% for utility companies 

      • Installing solar panels for LIHEAP eligible homes 

      • Streamlining permitting and procurement for clean energy projects  

    • Housing: 

      • Expanding the housing fund to support construction and rehabilitation 

      • Creating a Housing Corps program modeled after AmeriCorps to pay people to train in the Trades and put those skills to use in new home construction and rehabilitation of existing structures

      • Boosting investment in the state’s first-time homebuyers programs

    • Small Businesses:

      • Investing in a new Maine Transformation Fund to bring new businesses to Maine and encourage home-grown entrepreneurship

      • Reducing government bureaucracy for business owners with a one-stop-shop online portal for businesses

    • Taxes: 

      • Lowering property taxes for families who live and work in Maine by increasing property taxes on residences owned by people who live out of state

      • Passing a millionaires tax to make the wealthiest pay their fair share