AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday her support for an emergency bill in Maine's legislature that would provide relief to federal workers impacted by the government shutdown.
Maine Senate President Troy Jackson is sponsoring the Jackson Emergency Bill, which would allow the state to guarantee interest-free loans in an amount of one month's net pay and up to $5,000 per federal employee. Maine banks and credit unions would issue the loans.
Mills has asked that the State Legislature pass the measure and send it to her desk immediately, so she can sign the bill into law.
"This shutdown is exactly the type of gridlock and dysfunction that Maine people are tired of, and we will not stand idly by as Maine people suffer as a result of it,” Mills said in a statement. “I applaud Senator Jackson’s leadership in bringing forward this bill and our financial institutions for being willing to work together to help provide timely relief to federal employees."
If passed, the legislation would apply to about 1,100 furloughed federal workers in Maine who have continued to work without pay during the shutdown, which has lasted about five weeks.
Emergency legislation requires a two-thirds majority vote from members in both the House and the Senate in order to pass and make it to the Governor's desk.
"I am calling on the State Legislature to pass Senator Jackson’s bill as soon as possible and send it to me to sign into law," Mills statement continued. "In the meantime, I continue to urge the President and Congress to reach a resolution to this senseless shutdown. Enough is enough."
