AUGUSTA – Jurors could be in for a raise if a group of influential state lawmakers have their way.

State Sen. John Nutting of Leeds is leading an effort to up the daily pay for Mainers summoned to jury duty in state courts.

The current reimbursement rate for jurors is $10 a day. Nutting’s bill would increase that amount to $50 a day, while also upping the mileage reimbursement from 15 cents per mile to 36 cents.

The bill, which was filed earlier this week, already has garnered an impressive coalition of supporters.

State Rep. Deb Simpson of Auburn, who last session was the House chair of the Judiciary Committee, is the bill’s co-sponsor. State Sen. Peggy Rotundo of Lewiston, who served as chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, is also on board, as are state Sen. Peter Mills of Skowhegan, state Sen. Dave Hastings of Fryeburg, state Rep. Janet Mills of Farmington, and incoming House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree of North Haven.

“I’ve had a number of constituents who have called me, and they all say the same thing. ‘I’m glad to serve, but I can’t afford to lose three weeks of wages,'” Nutting said.

“Serving on jury duty is one thing, but you shouldn’t have to take out a personal loan to make ends meet,” Nutting said. “And that’s what some people have had to do.”

Reached Friday, Simpson said the increase is long overdue, but that the cost of the raise could be a problem.

“I suspect it won’t go anywhere given the spending climate in the state,” Simpson said.

But the need for an adjustment should be obvious, she said.

“We force people to come serve – and to some extent it’s a matter of public service – but it shouldn’t be such a hardship,” Simpson said. “If you’re serving in the court here in Auburn, you probably can’t even afford to walk across the street and buy lunch for $10.”

The bill doesn’t include an estimate for the cost of upping the reimbursement rates.

According to Nutting, the bill has been filed several times before, but hasn’t managed to gain the momentum for passage.

“What we need is members of the public to show up at the public hearing and say, ‘Look, this has happened to me,'” Nutting said. “That’s been lacking with the bill in the past.”

New Hampshire pays jurors $10 for a half day of service and $20 for a full day. It also will pay 20 cents per mile for travel to and from the courthouse.

Jurors in Maine who serve in federal courts receive $40 a day and 40.5 cents per mile for travel to and from the courthouse.