PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 25, 2024
Lawmakers and advocates who support a bill to give farmworkers protections under Maine’s minimum wage law are frustrated by a veto from Gov. Janet Mills, who has argued that lawmakers’ changes to the bill would jeopardize farmers’ financial security. Mills’ veto of L.D. 2273 on Tuesday hinged on an amendment made in the Labor and Housing Committeeto strike a provision in the original bill that placed enforcement duties with the Maine Department of Labor rather than allow farmworkers to pursue private litigation in response to alleged violations. The governor said she offered a compromise that would allow employees to seek a right-to-sue letter from the Department of Labor, but it was rejected by the committee. In order to override the governor’s veto, lawmakers would need two-thirds support in each chamber, which is unlikely.