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Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

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Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

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There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

ME naval workers seek state-backed loans in case of government shutdown

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Monday, March 11, 2024   

Federal workers in Maine are backing legislation to help ensure they can pay their bills in case of a government shutdown.

Those who might be furloughed or required to work without pay are requesting access to state-backed, no-interest loans.

Alana Schaeffer, president of the Metal Trades Council at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, said the 6,000 workers overhauling the nation's submarines deserve support.

"I watch the anxiety of our workers who are just trying to feed their family, pay their bills, lace up their boots and come in and serve their country every day," Schaeffer observed.

Schaeffer pointed out the loans would be repaid when the government reopens and employees receive retroactive paychecks. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Aroostook, president of the Senate, and received little pushback in a committee hearing. The next federal funding deadline is March 22.

Legislation to fully fund federal agencies was supposed to have been enacted into law by October 1, the start of the 2024 fiscal year, but lawmakers have instead relied on a series of stopgap spending measures to keep the government open.

Schaeffer noted while Congress debates immigration and foreign aid packages, federal workers are left wondering about their next paycheck, and area businesses are wondering if they can remain open.

"That's money that people are paying at our local restaurants, at the gas station down the road," Schaeffer explained. "When they have to make cuts, the rest of our local community also see the ripple effects of that."

The 2018 government shutdown left federal employees without being paid for 35 days. Schaffer added she trusts Maine lawmakers will support the workers who remain dedicated to America's defense, regardless of the political climate in the nation's capital.


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