Your Action is Needed Today!

Unemployment Insurance Reform – Your ACTION is needed TODAY.

The Michigan Association of Home Builders worked with a coalition of job providers to pass what we view as a win-win for those in need of extended unemployment benefits and those who pay (job providers) into the fund. This would not have been possible without the leadership of and help of the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House and the Governor. House Bill 4408 was passed in the Senate with 24 votes and in the House with 65 votes.

House Bill 4408, which was introduced by Representative Jim Stamas, is a win-win for job providers hoping to create jobs and individuals struggling to find work because it:Your ACTION is needed TODAY. The Michigan Association of Home Builders worked with a coalition of job providers to pass what we view as a win-win for those in need of extended unemployment benefits and those who pay (job providers) into the fund. This would not have been possible without the leadership of and help of the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House and the Governor. House Bill 4408 was passed in the Senate with 24 votes and in the House with 65 votes.

House Bill 4408, which was introduced by Representative Jim Stamas, is a win-win for job providers hoping to create jobs and individuals struggling to find work because it:

• Reduces state weekly benefit duration from 26 to 20 weeks for new claimants beginning in January of 2012. This change is expected to produce $300 million in annual savings.
• Requires the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) to more aggressively pursue fraud an abuse in the UI system, which totaled over $143 million in 2009 alone. This change is expected to save $50-$80 million in the first year.
• Fulfills a promise made by Congress to allow displaced workers to continue receiving weeks 79 to 99 of benefits through 2011.

While this bill is significant in starting Unemployment Insurance reforms, there is more work to be done to solve the state’s UI crisis; mainly that the UI Trust Fund has borrowed more than $3.9 billion from the federal government to continue paying benefits.

Others do not see this as a win-win situation. The National Employment Labor Project (NELP) has sent out an email to their members urging them to call Governor Snyder and TELL him to veto the bill, REJECT the cuts to the state UI benefits, and SUPPORT a clean Extended Benefits measure. The Michigan Association ofHome Builders OPPOSES their actions.

Your ACTION is needed – TODAY. Contact Governor Synder’s office at 517-373-3400 and thank him for his leadership on this issue and urge him to SIGN THE BILL that was sent to him by the Michigan Legislature.

On the last page of this update is the record roll call vote showing who supported HB 4408 – please let them know you appreciate their leadership on Unemployment Insurance Reform.