Florida legislature -- possible new benefits?

I just received this email from NELP, as I'm sure many of you have, but I'm posting it here anyway:

The Florida Legislature is refusing to take action that would ensure that unemployed Floridians will be able to collect unemployment benefits that are 100 percent federally funded.

What's at stake:
The last part of the current package of federal extensions - called simply Extended Benefits (EB) requires state legislative action. In previous sessions, Florida has twice voted to make these extensions available, but now they are refusing to do so. At least 8,000 a workers a month could be taking advantage of these benefits.

The issue is that Florida should join more than 25 other states who have passed a law that keeps these benefits available as long as Washington picks up the tab. Congress has extended these emergency benefits a number of times already, most recently through June 2nd. By passing a law now, Florida can make sure to take advantage if they are extended again (as expected through the end of the year).

What you need to do:
Call the Senate president Jeff Atwater 850-487-5100, Speaker Cretul- 488-0887. and the Governor -488-4441. URGE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT UNEMPLOYED FLORIDIANS ARE NOT HURT BT THEIR INACTION. ---they must act by Friday so ....start calling NOW!

Thank you for all you've done and continue to do!

Sincerely,

Your friends at unemployedworkers.org

What are they talking about when they say "The Florida Legislature is refusing to take action"? I thought the bill had been passed and was on it's way to the House? or is the 'house' the legislature? duh.

I could be so wrong here but it looks like from the House website the House passed the Bill that extends EB through June 2nd but they did not pass the Amendment that would allow it to be extended if Congress was to extend the federally funded deadline.

frustratedinfl wrote:I could be so wrong here but it looks like from the House website the House passed the Bill that extends EB through June 2nd but they did not pass the Amendment that would allow it to be extended if Congress was to extend the federally funded deadline.

Good Grief. Florida is one of the highest unemployment states and has a~holes in office.

frustratedinfl wrote:I could be so wrong here but it looks like from the House website the House passed the Bill that extends EB through June 2nd but they did not pass the Amendment that would allow it to be extended if Congress was to extend the federally funded deadline.

No you are correct, the house did pass the bill this afternoon to June 2,2010, but the amendment that would have allowed for that to continue if congress extended the federally funded dates was not passed. Which mean's if congress does extend only the dates ( no week's or tier's ) then the only way we would be able to collect further E.B. after June 2,2010 would be if they came back for a special session to change the date. Which i would guess would not be in timely fashion, considering this bill goes back to Feb 27,2010 which mean's they took 2 month's just to get this done.

The Florida Legislature is refusing to take action that would ensure that unemployed Floridians will be able to collect unemployment benefits that are 100 percent federally funded.

What's at stake:
The last part of the current package of federal extensions - called simply Extended Benefits (EB) requires state legislative action. In previous sessions, Florida has twice voted to make these extensions available, but now they are refusing to do so. At least 8,000 a workers a month could be taking advantage of these benefits.

The issue is that Florida should join more than 25 other states who have passed a law that keeps these benefits available as long as Washington picks up the tab. Congress has extended these emergency benefits a number of times already, most recently through June 2nd. By passing a law now, Florida can make sure to take advantage if they are extended again (as expected through the end of the year).

What you need to do:
Call the Senate president Jeff Atwater 850-487-5100, Speaker Cretul- 488-0887. And the Governor -488-4441. URGE THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT UNEMPLOYED FLORIDIANS ARE NOT HURT BT THEIR INACTION. ---they must act by Friday ....start calling NOW

***ADMIN EDIT - Please stay within established topics, thanks

What is wrong with these people? Free money from the federal government to help their own state and they couldn't manage to accept this help. Two reps voted against the bill itself. A whole bunch of reps voted against the extended weeks beyond June 2:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=43510&SessionId=64

Scroll down to the vote detail links and check the votes for 4/28. Personally, if you find the name of your own district rep listed with a NO vote, I would consider voting against anybody running against that person, or at least never, ever, voting for him or her. The vote for the amendment is listed with the number 915433.

On the plus side--for some people (it almost seems like the Florida lottery who gets what sometimes)--this could mean anywhere from 1 week to around 3 months of added benefits.

Beware of some early news reports I'm seeing that are, as usual, rather misleading, or even downright wrong about the number of weeks. There is no way anyone is going to get a new 20 weeks as the laws now stand, because the June 2 cutoff date would make that impossible, in spite of the Sun-Sentinel article that mentions 20 weeks several times. 20 weeks is the maximum you can ever get total, including any you may have been eligible for in 2009 or the brief extension in January this year.

And I don't know why some are reporting 5 weeks, that makes no sense either, unless they are thinking that it adds to the recent federal deadline extensions, but those laws have nothing to do with each other. (I'm sure I'm starting to sound snide about all this, but I'm SO tired of having to correct reporters on the facts!)

So in a nutshell, if you have not used up your 20 weeks total EB (OR whatever number of weeks of EB was calculated for you, an important fact rarely reported), AND if you have already exhausted all possible federal EUC benefits, then you should be eligible for whichever weeks you didn't get EUC from Feb 27 up til June 2.

E.g., if you just exhausted your Tier 4 last week (and never used all your EB weeks), then you would only be eligible for about 5 weeks. (Ok, that's probably where they got the 5 weeks from, but this bill is retroactive to Feb 27, as long as you weren't collecting EUC after that.) Then wait for AWI to get their act together on their website and/or call to find out what you have to do. (Crist has to sign this bill first also.) You'll probably have to apply for EB if you never got it before; those who were cut off last fall I would suggest calling AWI if you can get through on the phones.

Better than nothing, but jeez.

Nancy---Scroll down to the vote detail links and check the votes for 4/28. Personally, if you find the name of your own district rep listed with a NO vote, I would consider voting against anybody running against that person, or at least never, ever, voting for him or her. The vote for the amendment is listed with the number 915433.

hmm, I followed the link to the page and scrolled down but I didn't find any vote detail links. I was all ready with pen and pad to write down the traitors names who voted "Nay" too! Where should I be looking?

Thanks.

Hoppy wrote:

Nancy---Scroll down to the vote detail links and check the votes for 4/28. Personally, if you find the name of your own district rep listed with a NO vote, I would consider voting against anybody running against that person, or at least never, ever, voting for him or her. The vote for the amendment is listed with the number 915433.

hmm, I followed the link to the page and scrolled down but I didn't find any vote detail links. I was all ready with pen and pad to write down the traitors names who voted "Nay" too! Where should I be looking?

Thanks.

Scroll down on that link to about mid-page and you'll see this; the links are a little hard to see but they are there (my orange letters).

Vote History:
Chamber Date Yeas Nays Actions Vote Detail Barcode
Senate 04/26/2010 10:39 AM 34 0 Vote [Seq# 6]
House 04/28/2010 03:19 PM 43 68 Vote ]Seq# 1071] 915433
House 04/28/2010 03:25 PM 113 2 Passage Vote ]Seq# 1072]

Okay---it's NOT OVER!

I don't want to give anyone false hope here, but I just spoke again with our NELP-connected advocate in Tallahassee, and they had a Plan B as well. It may be a long shot, but this session goes til the end of Friday, and they're not giving up til it's over.

Ya know how sometimes benefits get tacked on to big defense appropriation or other bills like that in Congress? Well, the state has a big "conforming bill" I think it's called coming up before the end. They will try as much as they can to have this provision of the amendment included in that final bill. (I don't know the bill number.)

So here's something--even though I was advised not to advocate that people call a whole bunch of different legislators because maybe it can get confusing sometimes--if you don't have anything else terribly important to do tonight or tomorrow (or maybe even Friday), call, write, fax, email, whatever to first Atwater and Cretul. Then take that list of NO people from the links above and tell them why we need to accept this extension money from the feds. Or warn them about the tsunami of 6 million people coming to their front door asking for handouts for food. Or tell them your own story, whatever, but right now they need to know that we're watching, all million of us here in Florida.

Personally, I couldn't even get through to Atwater at any number; hopefully his phone was ringing off the hook, but for all I know they were all out to lunch for hours! When I called Cretul I did get a nice-sounding lady who listened to what I said and said she would pass that on. We had to deal with these same people in the fight last spring to get the original EB bill passed, and we were sometimes up against minds of concrete, once set, that's it.

Right now those no voters appear to be hiding behind some "constitutional" argument that they claim prevents them from "delegating" to any other legislative body their own duties. That seems like the most illogical argument imaginable, but that's the talking points of the leadership, I assume, and the rest follow obediently. So do we want them to deny the kids of the jobless a roof over their heads because of a very ill-conceived legal technicality?

Good grief.

NELP is trying to get some press attention on this, so calling the anyone in the media might be an even better idea!

[quote="nancym
Scroll down on that link to about mid-page and you'll see this; the links are a little hard to see but they are there (my orange letters).

Vote History:
Chamber Date Yeas Nays Actions Vote Detail Barcode
Senate 04/26/2010 10:39 AM 34 0 Vote [Seq# 6]
House 04/28/2010 03:19 PM 43 68 Vote ]Seq# 1071] 915433
House 04/28/2010 03:25 PM 113 2 Passage Vote ]Seq# 1072][/quote]


Ok, found it, thanks Nancy. Although I almost wish I hadn't! Just went ahead and got pissed off at the names with the red "N" in front of them, there goes my ulcer...again.

Hoppy, I wouldn't want to aggravate your ulcers any more, but I'll bet you anything that THIS guy is one of those NO voters!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics/2010/04/punta-gorda-lawmaker-homeless-bums-dont-deserve-special-protection.html

nancym wrote:Hoppy, I wouldn't want to aggravate your ulcers any more, but I'll bet you anything that THIS guy is one of those NO voters!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics/2010/04/punta-gorda-lawmaker-homeless-bums-dont-deserve-special-protection.html

you're absolutely right, Nancy, I checked the list again and there is a big red "N" in front of his name. Oh, I don't really have an ulcer, I was being facetious. I'm so glad Jim exposed this guy in his column!

Hoppy wrote:

nancym wrote:Hoppy, I wouldn't want to aggravate your ulcers any more, but I'll bet you anything that THIS guy is one of those NO voters!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_blogonomics/2010/04/punta-gorda-lawmaker-homeless-bums-dont-deserve-special-protection.html

you're absolutely right, Nancy, I checked the list again and there is a big red "N" in front of his name. Oh, I don't really have an ulcer, I was being facetious. I'm so glad Jim exposed this guy in his column!

Yes, I appreciate Jim Statton busting this guy out!

Unbelievable that so many in the Florida House would vote NO to 100% Federal Funding for the unemployed.

Personally, I will exhaust EUC Tier 4 on May 23rd, (I never collected EB). I guess that means that I might get one week of EB?

Twenty-Five other states have already voted to extend EB for as long as it is Federally funded.

What is wrong with these people?

Code:


Y  Abruzzo  Y  Cruz  Y  Heller  Y  Pafford  Y  Saunders 
N  Adams  N  Culp  N  Holder  -  Patronis  N  Schenck 
N  Adkins  N  Domino  N  Homan  N  Patterson  N  Schultz 
N  Ambler  N  Dorworth  N  Hooper  N  Plakon  Y  Schwartz 
N  Anderson  N  Drake  N  Horner  -  Planas  Y  Skidmore 
N  Aubuchon  N  Eisnaugle  N  Hudson  N  Poppell  N  Snyder 
Y  Bembry  N  Evers  N  Hukill  Y  Porth  -  Soto 
Y  Bernard  Y  Fetterman  Y  Jenne  N  Precourt  -  Stargel 
-  Bogdanoff  Y  Fitzgerald  Y  Jones  N  Proctor  Y  Steinberg 
N  Bovo  -  Flores  N  Kelly  Y  Rader  Y  Taylor 
Y  Boyd  N  Ford  Y  Kiar  Y  Randolph  Y  Thompson, G. 
Y  Brandenburg  N  Fresen  N  Kreegel  N  Ray  N  Thompson, N. 
Y  Braynon  N  Frishe  Y  Kriseman  N  Reagan  Y  Thurston 
Y  Brisé  N  Gaetz  N  Legg  Y  Reed  N  Tobia 
Y  Bullard  N  Galvano  N  Llorente  Y  Rehwinkel Vasilinda  N  Troutman 
N  Burgin  Y  Garcia  Y  Long  N  Renuart  N  Van Zant 
Y  Bush  Y  Gibbons  N  Lopez-Cantera  -  Rivera  Y  Waldman 
N  Cannon  Y  Gibson  N  Mayfield  N  Robaina  -  Weatherford 
N  Carroll  N  Glorioso  N  McBurney  N  Roberson, K.  N  Weinstein 
Y  Chestnut  N  Gonzalez  N  McKeel  Y  Roberson, Y.  Y  Williams, A. 
Y  Clarke-Reed  N  Grady  N  Murzin  Y  Rogers  N  Williams, T. 
-  Coley  N  Grimsley  N  Nehr  Y  Rouson  N  Wood 
N  Cretul  N  Hasner  N  Nelson  Y  Sachs  N  Workman 
N  Crisafulli  N  Hays  N  O'Toole  Y  Sands  N  Zapata 
 
 
 
Total Yeas:  43      Total Nays:  68      Total Missed:  9      Total Votes:  111 





Nancy, There are rumor's floating around that Bill SB 1736 is written that it does not go into effect until July 1,2010 have you heard that?

Steve--Really? I didn't know that 25 states had already passed laws that would allow for Congressional extensions going forward. Now I'm sick too.

motley--I can't imagine why, there's nothing in the bill that would cause that. Just a guess, but the cause of those rumors might be what happened last year. We all had to wait til July 1, the new fiscal year (although the state never said that had anything to do with it) before they even started handing out EB. But this time is drastically different. The money doesn't come from the state, except to hand it over, it's federally funded at 100%. That's the only reason the legislature made the law, even last year's law, in the first place, so the UI fund wouldn't be depleted and business taxes for UI wouldn't go up (they went up anyway). And AWI, who took almost 3 months to get their 1970 computer in gear for EB, couldn't start payouts til mid-July.

I would ignore this rumor. AWI already paid out on a similar EB extension from Jan 2 til Feb 27. I was only several thousand unemployed helped, but they did that since EB was already set up.

Nancy, Thanks for the info i think that rumor is bologna. I did read a miami herald article yesterday that did mention something in the bill going into effect on July 1,2010 but i believe that it had to do with the portion of the bill that relates to company's having 20 day's to dispute a claim. I think that takes effect July 1,2010.

Thanks again.

nancym wrote:Steve--Really? I didn't know that 25 states had already passed laws that would allow for Congressional extensions going forward. Now I'm sick too .

Nancy, that is straight off of the NELP email.

The issue is that Florida should join more than 25 other states who have passed a law that keeps these benefits available as long as Washington picks up the tab. Congress has extended these emergency benefits a number of times already, most recently through June 2nd. By passing a law now, Florida can make sure to take advantage if they are extended again (as expected through the end of the year).

this says July also

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FCPDRG0.htm

riceckr wrote:this says July also

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FCPDRG0.htm

Yup, it says July 1, all right. But what's with the "14 weeks of additional benefits?" 14 weeks?

Here is an email reply i received back from Marcia Pounds @ sun-sentinel regarding the mention in the Bill of July 1,2010.

This is what AWI tells me: “While the effective date of the bill is July 1, 2010, the section regarding Extended Benefits (EB) becomes immediately effective upon becoming law.”

motley wrote:Here is an email reply i received back from Marcia Pounds @ sun-sentinel regarding the mention in the Bill of July 1,2010.

This is what AWI tells me: “While the effective date of the bill is July 1, 2010, the section regarding Extended Benefits (EB) becomes immediately effective upon becoming law.”

Excellent! thanks so much, motley.

Steve-- Thanks, I think I've started to just scan the NELP emails too quickly, my eyes are starting to glaze over with all these different numbers and dates!

Hoppy-- I think it's more like 13-1/2 weeks from Feb 27 til June 2. But the catch is that you'd' have to have exhausted Tier 4 to be eligible for all of that. A few people might get that number of weeks, very few. And the irony is that anyone who actually ran out of Tier 4 before Feb 27 would have to be on a reduced numbers of weeks due to low income base (i.e., not getting the max weekly amount or max weeks) would be subject to the same calculation for the number of weeks in EB! So I wonder if it is technically possible for anyone at all to get 13 weeks!

Most who never got EB would probably get paid from March 27, when most exhausted EUC til June 2--that's 9 weeks!

I suppose if someone who was wasn't getting the max weeks had just started EB back at the start of November, had all 8 weeks in 2009 subtracted from their EUC, then ran out of Tier 4 before Feb 27, then added whatever calculation for EB they had still available, that person might be able to collect all 13 weeks. (Not sure if that 14th week would be paid, or maybe only half?)

Aren't there a few people on this board who would actually fall into that niche of EB?

Hoppy, are you eligible for any of this at all?

nancym wrote:Steve-- Thanks, I think I've started to just scan the NELP emails too quickly, my eyes are starting to glaze over with all these different numbers and dates!

Nancy, I sure can empathize with tired, blurry eyes.

I still don't understand why I went straight to EUC Tier 1 back in August when my normal benefits ended. I could have sworn that some people that I worked with went into EB before they ever went to any EUC tier. I am probably wrong, this can all get so confusing. I know that there were people that got laid off 6-8 months before me that got all the EUC Tiers 1-4, and also got 20 weeks of EB.