Missouri Following Michigan's Example On Cutting Unemployment Benefits

Missouri is set to become the second state to preserve its eligibility for federal unemployment insurance while at the same time reducing state benefits for new layoff victims.

Four Republicans in the Missouri State Senate had been filibustering a bill to allow laid off Missourians to continue receiving aid under the federal Extended Benefits program, which provides the final 20 weeks of pay for those who exhaust 53 weeks of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation and 26 weeks of state benefits.

In exchange for cutting state benefits down to 20 weeks, those Republicans have relented. It's the same tradeoff Michigan lawmakers used in March, when Michigan became the first state in the country to cut the standard 26 weeks of state benefits. The filibustering Missouri Republicans also secured a pledge from their leadership to try to eliminate $250 million in federal stimulus spending allocated for the state.

The National Employment Law Project warned in March that other states would follow Michigan's example. In Missouri, they were right.

"We saw a New York Times article on the vote in Michigan," Farrah Fite, a spokeswoman for Missouri Senate Republicans, told HuffPost on Monday. "That's where the initial idea came from."

There are some differences between the two state proposals. While the cut to state benefits will not affect laid off Michiganders until 2012, Fite said the Missouri cuts will take effect immediately.

Fite said she expects the legislation will emerge from a committee on Monday afternoon and could swiftly pass both chambers of the General Assembly and land on Gov. Jay Nixon's desk this week.

Jordan Yount, a spokesman for Missouri Senate Democrats, told HuffPost the bill might not pass so swiftly. "It's not a done deal," Yount said. "It's got to go through the House. It's got to be signed by the governor. Neither of these are guaranteed. I don't know if the House is going to want to go along with this."

Nixon's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from HuffPost, nor did a spokesperson for House Speaker Steven Tilley (R).

The National Employment Law Project told HuffPost that cuts to state benefits will also reduce compensation under the federal programs, which provide benefits based on a state's unemployment rate and also the number of weeks of state benefits a layoff victim has been granted. The combined loss of state and federal benefits, according to NELP, amounts to 21.4 weeks.

Fite said the possible impact on federal benefits had not been discussed during debate on the bill.

"What the Missouri Senate is doing is the result of a cynically orchestrated maneuver," said NELP's Mitchell Hirsch. "It is both shameful and reckless for the Missouri Senate to act to appease four senators who'd been holding extended unemployment benefits hostage by undermining the state's unemployment insurance program and putting more Missouri jobs at risk."

The Extended Benefits program is set to expire in several states over the next few months.

Comments

[BigLeftbowski]

07:06 PM on 05/16/2011

In typical republican fashion, the victims of the Bush administration are demonized for being unemployed in the economy of the their creation, which is like blaming people stranded in the desert for not finding water.

[99er2049er]

01:45 PM on 04/22/2011

How does anyone expect the poor to ever climb to the ranks of middle class if we keep kicking them back into the hole when they are trying to climb out? Don't the republicans realize that these poor and unemployed will make excellent customers and spend lots of hard earned money on their products and services if we just help them during the recession?

[99er2049er]

01:29 PM on 04/22/2011

I think a good business model for Missouri will be skydiving companies, only the customer base will be a one time only customer base as millions of unemployed simply won't pull the parachute cord.

Great job Missouri for showing that you don't give a damn about your citizens.

Republicans have shown this country that if you are down and out, they will leave you suffering. They will never get my vote because of this.

Obama 2012!!!

[eddy joe]

10:58 AM on 04/21/2011

Yeah.... those poor unemployed people don't need any money.

[99er2049er]

01:30 PM on 04/22/2011

I think the republicans have figured unemployed poor people don't need unemployment insurance extensions, why??? Because the poor don't own much, so they must not need money. The rich however, have large houses, vacation houses, expensive vacations to go on, putting their children in private schools, expensive cars, etc. So naturally the republicans think the rich need the money, so take it from the poor and give to the rich.

Reverse Robbin Hoods if you will.

[BigLeftbowski]

07:08 PM on 05/16/2011

And they don't vote either.

[thegreenhornet]

10:43 AM on 04/14/2011

Well many of us recall with horror the fact that George Wallace was once the Michigan democratic candidate for president. S it does ot come as a surprise to see Michigan in the company of Missouri whenit comes to political agendas -- unfortunately.

[jmounday]

11:49 AM on 04/13/2011

Funny we have no compassion for those out of work and out of unemployment.You don't see any stories about their position, might be they are mostly male and over 40. Wonder if they voted for the kinder and gentler bush and the even kinder and gentler obama.Could explain the silence of the lambs....

[99er2049er]

01:33 PM on 04/22/2011

I am amazed we have no problem giving endless amounts of money to the rich, to the corporations, to oil companies, to endless wars, to humanitarian aid projects throughout the world, yet we can't help our own citizens who are out of work when the jobs aren't available.

The republicans completely lost their priority for helping the citizens of our country. E.g. like how they are shutting down medicare/medicaid, and eventually social security. Those of you in your 40's or even 30's, guess what awaits you when you retire - A QUICK AND PAINFUL DEATH!!!!

[Mister Grumpy]

07:31 PM on 04/12/2011

Well....... this follows the GOP philosophy that the unemployed are only unemployed because they were lazy, unproductive, slugs when they were employed....... now they won't be able to suck on that welfare teat for very long and will be forced to take one of those 50,000 low paying McDonalds jobs flipping burgers......... if it's even offered to them...........

[Alwayspissedoffatsomeone]

09:14 PM on 04/12/2011

"now they won't be able to suck on that welfare teat for very long and will be forced to take one of those 50,000 low paying McDonalds jobs flipping burgers...­...... if it's even offered to them......­....." -- mist

Yeah, by all means don't get a job. Don't try to better yourself by being responsible for feeding yourself. How dare anyone tell you folks to help yourself? How dare they? You wouldn't want to lower yourself to be employed by......McDonalds? Now way.

[Alexander DeWolf]

11:03 PM on 04/12/2011

You something there are millions of unemployed trying to get work. Why not help them get work instead of pointing fingers? Have you helped anyone get a job at a liveable wage? I thought not. What a BS attitude.

[Elyriaohio]

06:48 AM on 04/13/2011

The last "Jobs Day" McDonald's held for 13,000 jobs had 60,000 applications. The bleak reality only gets bleaker for the millions looking for work.

[99er2049er]

01:35 PM on 04/22/2011

Amazing how we weren't lazy for our entire lives, then the recession took place, thanks BUSH, and now suddenly tens of millions of people turned into lazy bums.

You gotta love the value a republican puts on a human being. This is how they treat the citizens of our country when they are down and out, due to no fault of their own.

Obama 2012!

[Dosadi]

05:37 PM on 04/12/2011

Talk about spin. This story does not sound similar to what the Missourians are being told. I wonder why.

Missouri lawmakers approve unemployment benefits extension

http://midwestdemocracyproject.org/blogs/entries/lawmakers-give-final-approval-unemployment-benefits-extension/

[fedupinpa]

04:17 PM on 04/12/2011

Do the representatives in this stay hate the people they represent?

[Alexander DeWolf]

11:04 PM on 04/12/2011

Apparently.

[99er2049er]

01:36 PM on 04/22/2011

Absolutely. The republicans in this country hate everyone who isn't rich or a corporation.

[DANIELISTICALL]

02:58 PM on 04/12/2011

TEST

[bobcorps]

11:46 AM on 04/12/2011

This is just a bit below Communism. The states that take away a persons right to free speech, and their right to oppose the Mayors, and Governors are in fact promoting Communism. This country will soon face Communism as the only way out of its debts. Of course it will be the poor and disabled who'll finally pay the final price, definitely not the rich, they'll control everything else.

[Yorksgal]

12:48 PM on 04/12/2011

That is not communism. That is oligarchy.

[Dosadi]

05:38 PM on 04/12/2011

Probably.

[bobpruitte]

11:46 AM on 04/12/2011

A Must Read http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/

[libandproudofit]

10:55 AM on 04/12/2011

The next you here a republican say they are Christian folks they are just plain LIARS

[Chevalier Dupin]

11:24 AM on 04/12/2011

I think you mean 'hear', not 'here'. Are you a Christian?

[Alwayspissedoffatsomeone]

09:17 PM on 04/12/2011

You have to love the spelling Nazis. Always the critics yet none the players.

[99er2049er]

01:39 PM on 04/22/2011

They have redefined Christianity to fit their love of the God of money. They are now to be called Republichristians.

[progressivegreg]

10:53 AM on 04/12/2011

Up here in bagger Michigan (last November was a slaughter of anything progressive) our new Governor tells us that we have a negative attitude. I haven't heard that since basic training in the Air Force!

[libandproudofit]

10:58 AM on 04/12/2011

Thats why I left that craphole in 1971

[ajsgmajc]

11:24 AM on 04/12/2011

Oh gee, what in the world would make us have a negative attitude? Fanned.