California Assembly defeats bill to extend unemployment benefits

[bemildred]

Reporting from Sacramento -- After an hours-long partisan debate, Republicans in the state Assembly on Monday defeated a bill that would have authorized spending more than $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money to provide 20 weeks of extra unemployment benefits.

The bill would have provided extended benefits this year to an estimated 260,000 jobless Californians, including 74,000 whose unemployment checks are due to run out April 12. They are now eligible for up to 59 weeks of benefits.

The bill, which needed all 51 Democratic votes and at least three from minority GOP members to pass, failed on a tally of 53 to 9.

Many Republicans said they voted no because they wanted more time to analyze the measure to make sure that it would not cost California taxpayers any money.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-unemploy17-2009mar17,0,6674319.story

[mackerel]

1. What are all those unemployed going to do now?

[ailsagirl]

2. Bastards. What are we supposed to do when we run out???

:mad: