(MSC NEWS)--Kansas Democrats have announced a plan to avoid state worker furloughs if a budget deal is not passed by June 7.

The Associated Press reports that House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs said Wednesday the measure would prevent state workers from being held hostage by the budget deadlock.

State Representative Jerry Henry helped to head up the push for the bill, which he calls a stop gap measure to ensure that state employees are paid over the next eight weeks. He says “it would cost about $96 million and it would allow the state employees to keep working through the next two months...hopefully in the next couple of days we will be able to finish up our budget and get our tax plan in order.”

The Cummings Democrat says not all employees would be effected by a potential shutdown. He says that “if we don't have a budget passed here by Saturday, then the Governor has pretty well said that we need to start leaving non-essential employees...furlough them, lay them off without pay. The prisons and the hospitals, will all have to stay open, Those are essential for public safety, but all non-essential employees would be sent home without pay.”

Administration officials have said that the state does not have the authority to pay non-essential workers beyond June 6 if a budget is not passed.

The Kansas House GOP responded to the Democratic bill by tweeting that the House is scheduled to vote on a budget that would avoid furloughs. But that budget would need to also be approved by the Senate and signed by the governor.