After nearly two weeks of inaction, state legislators could soon restore jobless benefits to 37,000 job seekers who would otherwise lose their unemployment insurance Friday.
The state Senate could vote as early as today to extend the benefits, setting up a state House of Representatives vote tomorrow to get the money out to jobless residents.
But Republican leaders in the General Assembly have linked the unemployment benefits, which are a priority for Gov. Bev Perdue, to a GOP budget. That way, if Perdue wants to support the state's jobless, she'll also have to vote for the Republican budget.
Gov. Bev Perdue would have to sign the legislation by Friday to make sure that the affected jobless workers qualify for an extra 20 weeks of benefits.
The GOP add-on, introduced this morning, would prevent a shutdown of the state government if Perdue vetoes the Republican-backed budget and leaves the state government unfunded. Republicans say linking unemployment benefits to the GOP's continuing resolution legislation prevents a government shutdown and helps state workers.
The continuing resultion, funed at 87 percent of the current budget, would be good for one full year, becoming an annual budget for the state government.
As part of the bill, unemployment benefits would be extended by changing how the state calculates eligibility for the weekly payments. If the formula is not changed, jobless benefits in this state would be reduced from a maximum of 99 weeks to 79 weeks, cutting off 37,000 workers.
The extended benefits are federally funded, and North Carolina will not have to repay the money, said Larry Parker, spokesman for the N.C. Employment Security Commission, which administers jobless benefits in this state.
The ESC was notified April 1 by the U.S. Department of Labor that the benefits extension would expire because the state's jobless rate had declined.
Soon thereafter a bill was introduced in the state House to extend the benefits, but the bill got bogged down for lack of action.
The ESC then explained to state GOP leaders in an April 8 letter that the 20-week benefits extension could easily be restored if the state changed the formula it uses to calculate benefits.
In the letter, ESC Chairman Lynn Homes said eight other states had changed their laws to extend jobless benefits.
If the benefits are not extended, 37,000 would be cut off immediately, but several hundred thousand beneficiaries could be cut off in the coming months as their benefits reach their expiration dates.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
lazy lazy let's say welfare
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 17:03 — canesr0ck99 weeks and you can't find a job? that's almost 2 years for those collecting that can't figure the math. no excuse.
Lazy lazy Let's say welfare
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 19:48 — ojacobOK so where do you get off with your statement?
Let me clarify something for you, I and many others in my position who have been laid off for 99 weeks DID NOT CHOOSE TO LOSE OUR JOBS!!! I am NOT CHOOSING TO LIVE ON UNEMPLOYMENT, nor am I choosing to have to scramble and wonder how I am going to pay my bills along with 40K in medical bills that I have incured due to lack of health insurance and being hospitilized. My 467.00 per week that I was collecting from unemployment benefits took care of 1600.00 of expenses, can't downsize in apartments because I do not have a job and unemployment is not considered proof of income which leaves me to be stuck in an expensive apartment that I can no longer afford. You do the math and figure out how much is left for me to survive per month, if you have extra money, please pass it our way.
I among others who are 50+ years old can not manage to find a job when the corporate world out there is blatently discriminating due to age, where they would prefer to hire a 25 year old blond size 0 1/2 dress with rather than a 50+ female who has been working since the age of 16 and has paid into all the taxes and unemployment. How long have you been working?
My part time job (yes I am lazy) does not pay enough to support my bills, 8.25per hour and I do not qualify for anything, like food stamps, section 8 housing and any other social programs because I am single with no kids, so you want to knock me up so I can get pregnant and collect on all that's out there, go right ahead then you are free to call me and others lazy. Until then, keep stupid statements like yours to yourself because you don't know what those of us have been going through for the last 2 years.