Janet Mills vetoes bill to cover farmworkers under Maine’s minimum wage

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2023

Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would put farmworkers under Maine’s minimum wage laws, prompting a stern rebuke from another top Democrat. The bill from House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, would cover farmworkers under Maine’s annually indexed minimum wage of $13.80 per hour. The Legislature is returning Tuesday to vote on whether to override vetoes from Mills. At least two-thirds of lawmakers must vote to override a veto. Mills wrote in her veto letter she supports a minimum wage for farmworkers but is concerned about “a series of questions from members of the agricultural community about the true scope of the language.”