AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today he will sign an executive order to establish a Blue Ribbon Commission that will investigate Maine’s entire unemployment compensation system.

“Politically motivated demands for the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate a lunch meeting I had with hearings officers are based on anonymous allegations in media reports,” said Governor LePage. “This orchestrated effort is designed to distract Mainers from the real issue, which is inconsistencies in the unemployment system. But I remain focused on assuring Mainers that there is fair and consistent application of the law throughout the process. That’s why I am calling for an all-encompassing investigation of the entire system.”

To maintain balance and impartiality, the Blue Ribbon Commission will include representatives of both employers and employees. The goal of the Commission is to ensure Maine’s Unemployment Insurance system provides benefits for workers who are rightly entitled to them, while ensuring businesses are not charged when they appropriately let employees go. Additionally, the Commission will review the rules and laws governing the system to assure Mainers they are consistently applied.

“Let’s take an in-depth look at the state’s entire unemployment compensation system to make sure that it is fair and consistent for all Mainers,” Governor LePage said. “We welcome the opportunity to examine the system and make sure it is doing what it is designed to do: administer unemployment compensation in a judicious way that benefits both employers and employees. The people of Maine deserve to know that their system works for everyone.”