Last month, the GOP-led General Assembly passed House Bill 383 that would extend unemployment benefits to 37,000 people who have been out of work for more than a year. The bill, however, contained an unrelated provision that would have required Gov. Bev Perdue to cut 13 percent from her proposed budget, according to The Associated Press.
Perdue, a Democrat, vetoed the bill April 16, and the legislature has been unable to override it.
The unemployment benefits expired in mid-April.
Democrats are trying another tactic to force the issue. Many in the House have filed what is known as a discharge petition to House Bill 676, which supporters say would extend the unemployment benefits without any strings attached.
House Bill 676, filed April 5 before the jobless benefits expired, has languished in the House Committee on Commerce and Development.
All five Democratic House members who represent parts of Cumberland County have filed the petition, which allows House 676 to go directly to the House floor for action if supported by the majority of the chamber's members.
"I think it's despicable to hold unemployed workers' benefits hostage to obtain partisan, political gain," state Rep. Rick Glazier said in a statement last week. "These workers are already struggling and deserve better than to be used as political pawns."
Glazier is chairman of the Cumberland County legislative delegation.
Other local Democratic House members who signed the petition include Diane Parfitt, Marvin Lucas, Elmer Floyd and William Brisson, who lives in Bladen County.
The county's lone Republican lawmaker - state Sen. Wesley Meredith - could not be reached to comment on the issue. State Sen. Eric Mansfield, also a Democrat from Fayetteville, said Thursday he agreed with the House Democrats on the petition.
"If it was a standalone bill addressing the unemployment benefits, it would pass 50-0 in the Senate," Mansfield said. "I don't think we as freshmen came up to the General Assembly to play this type of politics."
Lucas, in the same statement from Glazier's office, said House Democrats would support House Bill 676 if brought to the floor.
"We are acutely aware that lives are at stake and we take our responsibility very seriously," Lucas said.
The Republicans maintain majorities in the House and Senate for the first time in more than 100 years.
3 comments:
I'm struggling. Why didn't they just agree to extend it? fuck.
Does anyone have a more accurate figure of the CURRENT number of people affected. The 37,000 quote is nearly a month old. I've heard unofficial estimates of 50,000+.
Makes no sense why the GOP won't simply push this 1 page bill through. I've small income from odd jobs and doing everything I can to bring consistent work, I'm on my last breath with their indecision and seemingly complete ignorance.
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