Unemployment

For reasons I won't pretend to understand, twelve Republican state representatives voted against extended unemployment benefits yesterday (HB 1544).

The legislation sponsored by Rep. Barney Fisher (R-Richards) passed 143-12, and will allow more than 62,000 Missourians to receive extended unemployment benefit, and not cost the state a dime.

Jason Brown, birther Cynthia Davis, birther Ed Emery, Doug Ervin, birther Tim Jones, Andrew Koenig, Will Kraus, Mike Leara, Brian Nieves, Mark Parkinson, Tom Self and Bryan Stevenson all opposed the extension.

Sen. Kit Bond was one of just two Senators to vote yesterday against legislation to extend unemployment benefits and a tax credit for first-time homebuyers. 

Lawmakers voted 85-2 to move closer to a final vote on the bill, which would extend until April 30 the $8,000 homebuyer credit that otherwise would expire at the end of this month...

In addition to extending the tax break for first-time homebuyers, the measure would let more people qualify for the credit, including some who already own homes and those with higher incomes...

The legislation also calls for spending $2.4 billion to extend unemployment benefits by 14 weeks in all states, and by six additional weeks in states with the highest jobless rates.

The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein:

Thursday's annual Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care-the Bureau's principal report card on the well-being of average Americans-closes the books on the economic record of George W. Bush. 

 

It's not a record many Republicans are likely to point to with pride.

 

On every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush's two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country's condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton's two terms, often substantially.

Speaking with his hometown paper, Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph) is publicly raising the idea of a special legislative session to extend and expand unemployment benefits for struggling families.  Unfortunately, the US Department of Labor this week declined to accept the compromise proposal put forward by the state to draw down $133 million for the extended benefits. 

In response to the feds' decision, Shields says the legislature may need a special session. 

"We’re probably going to have to go back and revisit the issue," said Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph. "It may be one of the issues that raises to the level of a special session."

The economy shed another 658,000 jobs in March and the nation's unemployment rate will rise to 8.5%. Not good.

As of today, there are 277,000 Missourians claiming unemployment. Missouri's unemployment rate in February was 8.3%.

About 2,942 Missourians lost their jobs last week.