Gov. Brewer (AZ) Calls Special Session on Extended Jobless Benefits

"Gov. Jan Brewer has called the Legislature into a special session Friday to extend unemployment benefits for nearly 15,000 Arizonans.

It is an eleventh-hour bid to keep checks flowing for people who are scheduled to exhaust their unemployment payments after Friday. To help win votes from some reluctant lawmakers, Brewer late Wednesday included a provision in her proposal that would hold Arizona businesses harmless from an expected increase in job-related taxes.

The session could be a lifeline for 14,697 workers who have been on unemployment for at least 79 weeks. By making a change to state law, Arizona would qualify for federal dollars to extend those benefits to a maximum 99 weeks."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/06/08/20110608arizona-unemployment-benefits-special-session.html#ixzz1OoiZT3VE

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/06/08/20110608arizona-unemployment-benefits-special-session.html#ixzz1OoiZT3VE

We have to acknowledge there are forces at play here larger than the inability or unwillingness of some people to find work.
--Gov. Jan Brewer (AZ-R) June 8th 2011

Hell has officially frozen over &/or God has moved a Repub heart.

Brewer added a provision that would hold Arizona employers harmless from a bump-up in taxes that is expected to kick in July 1.

Must be AZ was planning a UI tax increase to help pay back $$ AZ has borrowed from the fed govt to pay for the initial 26 weeks. Lol also known as 'kicking the can down the road.'

She also included two conditions that would be imposed on those collecting the extended benefit checks: that they actively seek work at least four days a week and that they take the first job offer they get that pays at least minimum wage.

Most states already require active job-seeking for people getting EB. The other requirement is worded somewhat oddly.....'take the first job offer'.....doesn't say someone has to *apply* for min-wage jobs only that they have to accept an 'offer' of a min-wage job.

All in all this is positive news for the unemployed in AZ. I thought for sure that the AZ legislature was gone till next year & were just gonna let EB disappear. A special session.....wow.....specifically for UI. Just goes to show that massive fax/email/tweet campaigns *do* work. Grats to all the unemployed folks in AZ.

PS--Sorry to the folks in AZ for all those Tea-Monsters who live there. The commenters to the article are like 80-20 against UI in general. 'There are plenty of jobs you lazy bums' yadyadayada.....

"...inability or UNWILLINGNESS to find work"?

Her almost permafrozen Republican heart hasn't melted all that much. She still has to cater (at least through lip service) to her radical right-wing GOP base.