Senate Committee Expands Unemployment Benefits

Stimulus Package Alabama Legislature The full Alabama Senate will consider plan expanding unemployment benefts to 20000 more people

by Associated Press

Published: Thu, March 12, 2009 - 9:02 am CST Last Updated: Thu, March 12, 2009 - 9:08 am CST

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) (AP) - An Alabama Senate committee has
split along party lines in approving legislation to expand
unemployment benefits to about 20,000 more people.
The Senate Business and Labor Committee passed the bill Thursday
with seven Democrats voting for it and one Republican against it.
The bill would expand Alabama's unemployment compensation
program to cover workers who have only been in the work force a
short time, those seeking part-time work rather than full-time
jobs, people in job-training programs who have exhausted their
normal benefits, and workers who leave their jobs because of
domestic violence.
The bill now goes to the Senate. If the Legislature approves it,
Alabama will qualify for $100 million from the federal stimulus
package. Some Republicans are concerned how the state would pay for
the benefits once the federal money runs out.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Wait4Me Says:

Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 10:41 am

Yes, that is true, but Congress inserted rules into the stealfromus bill that allowed the state legislature to override the Governor if he did not want any part of the bill. That way they could ensure a state with a Republican Gov. could be circumvented by a Democratic Legislature and that money would go to the programs they want. If they had not placed the language in the bill the legislature would not have been able to overturn the governor’s decision on parts of the plan.

claycitymadness Says:

Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 10:34 am

its not congress and obama, its the alabama legislatiure thats doing it. the govenor can veto it and then the legislature can override his veto if they feel that stroinlgy abot it as a group. problem is they have enough votes to override a veto, both in the state house and the congress. so the govenor can do whatever he wants, but if he doesnt have the legislature on board they can override his decisions. the legislature feels they are more representative of the people than the govenor.

Wait4Me Says:

Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 9:34 am

Here we go, the first step in Congress and Obama’s plan to circumvent our Governor, one that doesn’t want to take the money they know we won’t have in 3 years. I already know how the state is going to pay for it when the federal money runs out,,,,,,,,taxes, lots and lots of taxes.