By CHRIS BLANK
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The amount of time Missouri workers could claim unemployment benefits after losing a job would depend upon how many others also are looking for work, according to a measure given final legislative approval Wednesday.
Missouri residents currently can collect unemployment benefits for up to 20 weeks. Under the legislation, jobless benefits could be claimed for 20 weeks only when the state's average unemployment rate is at least 9 percent. The maximum duration of jobless benefits would decrease one week for each one-half percentage point drop in the unemployment rate, and bottom out at 13 weeks when the state's jobless rate is less than 6 percent.
The bill could make Missouri's jobless benefits timespan one of the shortest in the nation. Florida and North Carolina both have linked the duration of jobless benefits to the unemployment rate with the potential for their payments to halt after 12 weeks.
House members passed the legislation 101-49 on Wednesday. It cleared the Senate last month 24-8 and now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.
Missouri Rep. Jay Barnes said the measure brings more rationality to Missouri's unemployment system.
"As the economy is better, the need for unemployment benefits decreases and so too should those benefits," said Barnes, R-Jefferson City.
Democratic critics said people collecting jobless benefits use the money to pay bills and cover living expenses until they can find a new job. They said the legislation doesn't account for variations in the unemployment rate among industries and in different areas of the state.
"This bill is completely anti-worker," said Rep. Stacey Newman, D- St. Louis.
The legislation also calls for the state unemployment trust fund to consider issuing bonds when more than $300 million is owed, and it raises the cap on how much money can be in the fund at one time.
The state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund became insolvent in February 2009, and officials say Missouri borrowed more than $1 billion from the federal government since then to continue paying benefits. The loan balance was nearly $257 million as of last week.
Supporters have said the measure could help the state pay back the money it borrowed.
The borrowing means Missouri businesses pay higher assessments. The federal unemployment tax rate is 6 percent, and companies get a 5.4 percent credit if they pay their state unemployment tax on time and the U.S. Department of Labor certifies the state's unemployment program meets federal requirements.
Nixon announced in January the unemployment debt is expected to be paid off in November instead of May 2015. He said employers could save $186 million on federal unemployment taxes.
Unemployment benefits bill is SB673
Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov
The vote
The 101-49 roll call vote Wednesday by which the Missouri House gave final approval to legislation that would link the duration of jobless benefits to the state's unemployment rate.
REPUBLICANS VOTING YES
Sue Allen, Town and Country
Sonya Anderson, Springfield
Kurt Bahr, O'Fallon
Jay Barnes, Jefferson City
Mike Bernskoetter, Jefferson City
T.J. Berry, Kearney
Rick Brattin, Harrisonville
Wanda Brown, Cole Camp
Eric Burlison, Springfield
Mike Cierpiot, Lee's Summit
Kathie Conway, St. Charles
Steve Cookson, Poplar Bluff
Robert Cornejo, St. Peters
Stanley Cox, Sedalia
Sandy Crawford, Buffalo
Gary Cross, Lee's Summit
Paul Curtman, Pacific
Charlie Davis, Webb City
John Diehl, Town and Country
Dean Dohrman, LaMonte
Tony Dugger, Hartville
Kevin Elmer, Nixa
Kevin Engler, Farmington
Sue Entlicher, Bolivar
Scott Fitzpatrick, Shell Knob
Paul Fitzwater, Potosi
Tom Flanigan, Carthage
Lyndall Fraker, Marshfield
Diane Franklin, Camdenton
Keith Frederick, Rolla
Doug Funderburk, St. Peters
Elaine Gannon, De Soto
Chuck Gatschenberger, Lake St. Louis
Don Gosen, Ballwin
Jeff Grisamore, Lee's Summit
Casey Guernsey, Bethany
Elijah Haahr, Springfield
Marsha Haefner, Oakville
Kent Hampton, Malden
Jim Hansen, Frankford
Ron Hicks, St. Peters
Galen Higdon, St. Joseph
Dave Hinson, St. Clair
Denny Hoskins, Warrensburg
Lincoln Hough, Springfield
Jay Houghton, Martinsburg
Tom Hurst, Meta
Delus Johnson, St. Joseph
Caleb Jones, Columbia
Jeffery Justus, Branson
Shelley Keeney, Marble Hill
Mike Kelley, Lamar
Andrew Koenig, Manchester
Bart Korman, High Hill
Mike Lair, Chillicothe
Bill Lant, Pineville
Jeanie Lauer, Blue Springs
Mike Leara, St. Louis County
Donna Lichtenegger, Jackson
Warren Love, Osceola
Steve Lynch, Waynesville
Jeffrey Messenger, Republic
Rocky Miller, Osage Beach
Mike Moon, Ash Grove
Lynn Morris, Ozark
Dave Muntzel, Boonville
Jim Neely, Cameron
Myron Neth, Liberty
Mark Parkinson, St. Charles
Donna Pfautsch, Harrisonville
Don Phillips, Kimberling City
Randy Pike, Adrian
Craig Redmon, Canton
Holly Rehder, Sikeston
Bill Rieboldt, Neosho
Tim Remole, Excello
Shawn Rhoads, West Plains
Todd Richardson, Poplar Bluff
Jeanie Riddle, Mokane
Robert Ross, Yukon
Caleb Rowden, Columbia
Dwight Scharnhorst, Valley Park
Dave Schatz, Sullivan
Ron Schieber, Kansas City
Noel Shull, Kansas City
Lindell Shumake, Hannibal
Chrissy Sommer, St. Charles
Bryan Spencer, Wentzville
Rick Stream, Kirkwood
Kathy Swan, Cape Girardeau
Mike Thomson, Maryville
Noel Torpey, Independence
Nate Walker, Kirksville
Bill White, Joplin
Paul Wieland, Imperial
Kenneth Wilson, Smithville
David Wood, Versailles
Anne Zerr, St. Charles
Tim Jones, Eureka
DEMOCRATS VOTING YES
Jay Swearingen, North Kansas City
John Wright, Rocheport
REPUBLICANS VOTING NO
Nick Marshall, Parkville
John McCaherty, High Ridge
Jeff Pogue, Salem
DEMOCRATS VOTING NO
Ira Anders, Independence
Linda Black, Desloge
Bob Burns, Affton
Michael Butler, St. Louis
Jon Carpenter, Gladstone
Mike Colona, St. Louis
Pat Conway, St. Joseph
Courtney Curtis, Berkeley
Randy Dunn, Kansas City
Brandon Ellington, Kansas City
Keith English, Florissant
Vicki Englund, St. Louis County
Michael Frame, Eureka
Kimberly Gardner, St. Louis
Ben Harris, Hillsboro
Penny Hubbard, St. Louis
Jacob Hummel, St. Louis
Chris Kelly, Columbia
Jeanne Kirkton, Webster Groves
Michele Kratky, St. Louis
Jeremy LaFaver, Kansas City
Gail McCann Beatty, Kansas City
TJ McKenna, Festus
Kevin McManus, Kansas City
Margo McNeil, Hazelwood
Sue Meredith, St. Louis County
Bonnaye Mims, Kansas City
Gina Mitten, Richmond Heights
Genise Montecillo, St. Louis County
Judy Morgan, Kansas City
Stacey Newman, Richmond Heights
Mary Nichols, Maryland Heights
Charlie Norr, Springfield
Bill Otto, Maryland Heights
Sharon Pace, Northwoods
Josh Peters, St. Louis
Tommie Pierson, Bellefontaine Neighbors
John Rizzo, Kansas City
Jeff Roorda, Barnhart
Joe Runions, Grandview
Ed Schieffer, Troy
Jill Schupp, Creve Coeur
Clem Smith, Velda Village Hills
Rochelle Walton Gray, Black Jack
Stephen Webber, Columbia
REPUBLICANS NOT VOTING
Kevin Austin, Springfield
Glen Kolkmeyer, Wellington
Joe Don McGaugh, Carrollton
Chris Molendorp, Belton
Lyle Rowland, Cedarcreek
DEMOCRATS NOT VOTING
Steve Hodges, East Prairie
Karla May, St. Louis
John Mayfield, Independence
Tom McDonald, Raytown