AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills' emergency energy plan, known as the Emergency Winter Energy Relief Plan, failed to pass Wednesday night, leaving Democrats frustrated and concerned.
"There will be people that will do things that are extraordinary, and we will have people end up dying because of it and that I know," Senate President Troy Jackson said Wednesday night.
"They turned their backs on Maine people and I think they'll hear from Maine people. I feel concerned about people freezing in their own homes in the coming weeks," Mills told reporters Thursday morning.
Senate Assistant Minority Leader Lisa Keim said Senate Republicans want to provide this relief to Mainers, but they want to hear from them first.
"A conversation between a few elected leaders is not a good replacement for actual transparency and accountability for a public hearing," Keim said.
Keim added as soon as the appropriations committee is appointed, this bill can go through the public hearing process.
"I'm ready to do this. If there were people here, our members are ready to work this bill publicly," Keim said.
Mills said Augusta has already gotten the message.
"The public has been heard from loud and clear. Unfortunately, some members of the Senate didn't hear that message," Mills said.
As for what happens next, leaders in the legislature have not yet announced what they'll do for heating relief after the failure of this bill.
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