Mo. governor signs bill expanding jobless benefits

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon signed a measure Friday to use federal stimulus money to increase unemployment benefits going to Missourians, but it's unclear whether part of the plan will be allowed under federal law.

The legislation does two main things: It lets Missourians receive jobless benefits longer, and it expands the number of people eligible to get them in the first place.

The money to cover the additional people comes from the federal stimulus package and was intended as an incentive for states to permanently change their laws so more people qualify for benefits. For either the extension or the expansion to take effect, the U.S. Department of Labor must sign off.

Federal officials have agreed to allow Missourians to get up to an extra 20 weeks of jobless benefits when unemployment is high, Nixon's office said Friday. Currently, Missouri unemployment benefits run out after 59 weeks.

But the expansion of jobless benefits still is under review, and the U.S. Labor Department previously raised doubts about whether it would pass muster given its temporary nature.

The legislation would allow benefits for people who leave jobs for family reasons, such as a family members' illness or disability, because of domestic violence or to follow a spouse who has taken a job elsewhere.

It also would provide an additional 26 weeks of jobless benefits for people participating in job training and change the way workers' past wages are analyzed to determine benefits.

The problem is that the expansion would end as soon as the federal money runs out unless state lawmakers agreed to continue it. But the Republican-led Legislature passed the unemployment measure only after receiving assurances that it would be temporary.

The expansion also wouldn't start until the U.S. Labor Department approves the plan.

Those provisions conflict with the federal law's requirement that states make permanent changes in their unemployment benefits and start them before receiving the federal stimulus money.

The National Employment Law Project, which advocated for the federal law, has said Missouri is the first state to try to get the federal money for expanded unemployment benefits with only temporary changes. The group's Midwest coordinator has predicted Missouri will not get the money.

The governor's office said Friday that allowing Missourians to collect benefits longer could inject up to $65 million into the state's economy by increasing the amount of jobless benefits going to Missourians.

"Many Missouri families dealing with the loss of a job are going to be helped by these extended benefits as they continue to seek work," Nixon said in a written statement.

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Unemployment is HB1075

On the Net:

Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov

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