July 19, 2011
Cullen Lauds Bipartisan Passage of Unemployment Pay Legislation
Sen. Tim Cullen joined 30 of his colleagues in the Wisconsin Senate today in voting for a change in state law that will allow Wisconsin to capture $88 million in extended unemployment benefits. The vote was 30-3. The Senate also repealed a one-week waiting period for unemployment pay that the majority party enacted last month.
Some opponents of the legislation have argued that extending unemployment pay is a disincentive for people to take jobs. Sen. Cullen said he doesn’t believe that is the case for most people.
“People I know who are jobless are not jobless by choice,” Cullen said. “The jobs simply are not there. Yet they have to put food on the table, pay their mortgages, and put gas in the car for their job search. I’m pleased that the Senate came together to do what is right for Wisconsin families when so many people are suffering.”
The Beloit unemployment rate increased to 13 percent in May, following two months of declines. Janesville’s unemployment rate went up to 9.9 percent compared to 9.7 percent in April.
Cullen and the 13 other Democrats offered an amendment to repeal a new law that requires jobless people to wait one week before collecting regular unemployment benefits. The waiting period was part of the state budget that the Legislature passed in June.
Cullen pointed out that if people were truly staying on unemployment compensation for the maximum amount of time rather than taking a job, they would get that one week of unemployment pay on the back end rather than the front end anyway. For that reason, everyone should be able to support the amendment, he said. Republicans did join Democrats in supporting the amendment, and it was adopted on a voice vote.
“It is remarkable and laudable that my colleagues in the Senate reversed the one-week delay they adopted a month ago,” Cullen said. “I thank them for their support of this amendment.”
All legislation relating to unemployment insurance typically goes through the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council, half of whom represent employers and half of whom represent employees. The Council could have moved the legislation forward in April, but there was resistance from members representing employers. In June, Cullen asked the Council to recommend the legislation, which it did on June 24. He then asked the Senate Majority Leader to schedule the legislation for a floor vote in June. Cullen said he was pleased that the leadership scheduled the bill before the summer break.
“The Legislature will not be in session again until September, and so I am pleased we were able to accomplish this before then,” Cullen said. “Wisconsin families have waited long enough.”
Between 23,000 and 40,000 workers who have been out of work for about a year and a half will be able to apply for the benefits. The bill makes the benefits retroactive to April.
The 13 weeks of additional benefits are funded 100 percent by the federal government, thanks to a provision in the federal Tax Relief Act of 2010.
“It makes no sense to turn down this money that should be going into the pockets of Wisconsinites who will spend it in our communities immediately,” Cullen said.