Legislation to cut the period of time Kentuckians can receive unemployment benefits has been given final passage by the General Assembly. The measure reduces the duration for benefits from 26 weeks to 12 weeks in many cases. The Senate and House both overrode Governor Beshear’s veto of the bill. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said there are currently a hundred thousand vacant jobs in Kentucky.
“Across all sectors, every industry, help wanted signs are up everywhere. If you are an able-bodied healthy Kentuckian there is no excuse for you to not have a job,” said Thayer.
Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey said the availability of jobs is not the same from county to county across the state. Lexington Democratic Senator Reggie Thomas said, with the new law in place, Kentucky would have one of the stingiest U-I programs in the country.
“It is just onerous and just insensitive to what people who experience unemployment should receive because in this instance Mr. president we’re not talking about people who are receiving government benefits. We’re talking about people who have been working,” said Thomas.
Wilder GOP Senator Will Schroder noted other states using this model for unemployment have seen successes. While it was suggested that benefit duration periods should be determined by regional unemployment rates, Schroder said that is not allowed through federal regulations. The bill calls for using a statewide average of the jobless rate.
