State Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond) filed House Bill 1787 on Wednesday in an effort to guarantee state worker pay during a budget impasse. Bourne said the bill would make state worker’s salary payments a continuing appropriation.

Bourne said another bill has been discussed that would provide short term funding for state worker pay, but said she thinks the better solution would be to make state worker pay a continuing appropriation, which would leave a long term budget solution on the table.

Bourne said a stop gap appropriation would be a temporary fix, and leave the issue vulnerable to future attacks. So far the proposed bill have received early support according to Bourne.

Bourne said it seems that state worker pay is being used as a political tool, and she feels that that’s absolutely wrong.