Timing tight in NC showdown on jobless benefits

by Guest Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:24 am

Timing tight in NC showdown on jobless benefits

Leaders of North Carolina's divided government played chicken
Thursday with unemployment benefits for about 37,000 long-term jobless
workers as Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Beverly
Perdue fought over the cost of keeping the money flowing.
The state Senate voted 30-17 along party lines to approve
extending the jobless benefits for up to 20 more weeks. The federally
funded benefits will stop Saturday unless the warring state leaders
agree to change a formula and keep the payments coming.
But Republican leaders have tied the extended benefits to a plan
that forces Perdue to accept a 13 percent spending cut from her proposal
for the entire budget year starting in July if the two sides can't
agree on a budget.

The House was expected to vote on the bill combining the issues
later Thursday with the aim of forcing Perdue into a choice: continue
jobless benefits for thousands or preserve her bargaining power as
choices over where to cut heat up over the next 2 1/2 months. The
Senate scheduled a rare Saturday session in case Perdue vetoes the bill
combining the two issues.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MJL8MG0.htm