Bill advances to increase jobless benefits

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 | 5:13 p.m.

Assembly accepts money for extension of jobless benefits (3-27-2009)
Gibbons accepts $291 million in jobless funds from stimulus (3-25-2009)
Panel approves bill to accept federal jobless funds (3-23-2009)
Lawmakers hear support for increasing jobless benefits (3-18-2009)
Legislature will accept jobless funds despite governor’s concerns (3-16-2009)
Gibbons to Obama: State might reject some stimulus funds (3-11-2009)
Strings on money for jobless create knots (3-4-2009)

Archive of Sun politics stories

CARSON CITY – A bill to extend and increase benefits to thousands of unemployed Nevadans was unanimously passed by the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor today.

The measure, to be financed by federal stimulus funds, will extend unemployment benefits by seven weeks, increase the weekly checks by $25 and make an additional 4,100 unemployed Nevadans eligible for the program.

Some 800 workers are expiring their 72 weeks of unemployment compensation every week. That will grow to 3,800 people on April 11.

Cindy Jones, administrator of the state Employment Security Division, said the benefits are retroactive to Feb. 22, the date of federal approval.

She said the initial payment increase will be made quickly to those who receive payments through debit cards. It may be a few weeks for those who get their benefits by check.

The Assembly already approved Assembly Bill 469 and Assembly Concurrent Resolution 17 to change the law and to accept the payments. They now go to the floor of the Senate for a final vote, probably early next week.

Gov. Jim Gibbons has said he would accept the federal funds.

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, told the Senate Committee that Nevada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 10.1 percent both in the state and Clark County.

The state will receive $270 million. Of that, $77 million will be used to expand the program to make more workers eligible. That will last anywhere from four to 10 years.

The $77 million will help bolster the state’s unemployment trust fund which will be $750 million in the hole by the end of the year.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By Bertsos

4/1/09 at 6:34 p.m.

Suggest removal

NO !!!!!

We can't have this wastfull spending?!?!?!?

Let' them starve or go find a job!!!!!

Remember, vote REPUBLICAN!!!!
By otyler

4/2/09 at 5:37 p.m.

Suggest removal

Hey Bertsos,
Too late buddy, we voted BLUE! Democrat! And will continue to do so in Nevada. You are the true representation of what Republicans stand for, greed, bigotry, and serious lack of care for others. Do you think we the people are taking any Republican candidate serious, yeahh specially in backwards Nevada!
I truly wish you become homeless so you learn...!
By ghostorchid

4/5/09 at 6:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

Bertsos- Dont you think I want a job. I have a disabled child and I was relocated to Las Vegas by my company to start a new contact center, due to the economy I was laid off. I have applied for many jobs and cannot get an offer that will support my family. Should my disabled child suffer because of the economy? People like you are why people like my daughter dont get the care and support they deserve considering I have paid my taxes for over 15 years.

Get over yourself and your job, you may not have one soon either!