Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Keep in mind that this is something that was addressed by the Democratic Caucus and which could have been dealt with in the regular legislative session, but Tea-Publican legislators refused to act.
Governor Brewer made lame excuses for the past several weeks for not calling a special session, only to call a special session at the eleventh hour before emergency federal unemployment insurance for the "ninety-niners" expires on Saturday.
Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, is correct: “The only reason that the governor is doing this is so that she doesn’t look like Marie Antoinette telling people to eat cake while she flies off to France.” (The governor is scheduled to attend the Paris Air Show later this month). Arizona Capitol Times » Votes, attendance still question marks for special session.
This is the result of mismanagement and a failure of leadership by Governor Brewer. Arizona Capitol Times » Unemployment benefits special session: No vote today:
Arizona lawmakers have convened a special session to address extending unemployment benefits for those who have been out of work for more than a year, but there won’t be a vote today.
Instead, the Legislature will adjourn without taking action to advance the governor’s proposal and come back to work on Monday afternoon.
House Majority Leader Steve Court said a combination of factors influenced the decision, among them spotty attendance and an uncertainty whether the measure will find the supermajority support it needs in each chamber to pass with an emergency clause.
That will allow it to go into effect immediately, instead of after 90 days, and will prevent a major lapse in benefits for 15,000 people who will stop receiving unemployment insurance payments tomorrow.
However, Court acknowledged that he didn’t know what the net effect would be Monday for attendance, as some members present today won’t be able to make it next week.
Chief among those who won’t be able to attend are Democratic lawmakers, who are essential if the bill is to pass, as many Republicans have vowed not to support it. There were 19 Democrats present in the House today, but House Assistant Minority Leader Steve Farley said that number will only be 14 next week.
“If this thing isn’t done today, it’s not going to pass,” Farley said.
* * *
Officials at the Arizona Department of Economic Security said failure to approve the extension today will result in a disruption of benefits for those people. However, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor said that, if there is a disruption, it would only last a couple of days and those affected would receive retroactive payments.
Tea-Publicans are holding the jobs benefits hostage in exchange for more corporate welfare tax breaks to garner their votes. Arizona lawmakers to let jobless benefits expire:
"I'd like to make it an economic-recovery package," Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said. He, like many other Republican lawmakers, say they can't support a bill that would keep unemployment checks flowing without doing more to try and stimulate Arizona's economy, where the jobless rate is 9.3 percent.
And see Arizona Capitol Times » Tobin: Special session must address job creation:
He said that he had been in negotiations with Senate President Russell Pearce and Gov. Jan Brewer to cobble together a deal that would combine some economic incentives to try and spur job growth with the agreement to extend unemployment benefits.
* * *
But the proposal received a frosty reception from the Governor’s Office. Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson said the governor is not willing to address the economic proposals in a special session. She would be happy to revisit those issues during the 2012 regular session, Benson said, but she won’t tie them to unemployment benefits.
Lawmakers will reconvene at 1:30 p.m. Monday. You know what to do — call and e-mail your state legislators.
If Arizona fails to approve this measure it will stand alone among all the states for having failed to act.
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You’re quite welcome:)Please make a point of writing, calling etc…the people resposible for this nonsense! We need to vote these idiots out, and get AZ back the way it should be…thanks.
Thank you, Cheri. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
As if we don’t have enough evidence showing the monumental incompetence of these know nothing legislators in AZ,they point out their glaring ignorance once again.By extending these UE payments to those trying to find work, (in a state with higher than the national average unemployment),it would serve as an immediate and direct infusion of cash into this economy…serving as an immediate stimulus that fuels growth.Instead they want to further squeeze the noose tighter and tighter around the families that can least afford it. Remember: THEY GOT THEIRS…SO SCREW YOU LAZY DEADWEIGHTS! That’s what they’re saying to struggling families, who’s average payment is probably around $200.WOW! Ever tried to pay rent, gas the car,buy food, and pay utilities on that? I just bet they’re sitting around eating bons bons by the pool!Let’s kick these guys to the curb…real people…and let’s see how we can give some MORE perks to the corporations…that ought to fuel some movement…oh wait…that didn’t work so well…that “trickle down”never DID make it to the people that needed it.TOO bad,so sad.Suck it up.Really? As if we needed another excuse to recall King Pearce, here’s another one.These people are all dumber than a box of rocks…they either don’t know how the immediate benefits of UE work to not only improve lives but the local economy as well,or they don’t WANT to know to push their own agenda.WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!They care NOTHING about the people that they promised to serve and protect. What they DO want to serve and protect is the steady stream of corporate dollars.By the way,just as an aside…how much did THAT useless special session cost the taxpayers of this state?Pathetic.