Jobless benefits bill: 1-week waiting period, higher taxes, By Jonathan Starkey, June 2, 2013, News Journal: “Delaware racked up more than $70 million in debt sending out unemployment checks during the recession. Now the bill is coming due, and proposed legislation would pay down the debt by raising taxes on businesses and forcing jobless Delawareans to wait a week before collecting state benefits. Gov. Jack Markell is backing the proposed changes, which administration officials say would stave off even higher federal taxes in coming years. The proposal is working its way in the Legislature. Delaware, which is not the only state needing to tackle the problem, began borrowing from the federal government in March 2010 to pay for unemployment benefits, with the bill reaching as high as $78.5 million. The state-administered unemployment trust fund currently owes about $71.5 million…”
Day: June 4, 2013
Preschool Initiative – Michigan
Michigan to offer preschool to more poor children, By David Eggert (AP), June 1, 2013, Detroit Free Press: “As many as 16,000 more 4-year-olds will go to preschool in Michigan next school year, a significant enrollment boost that Gov. Rick Snyder hopes to increase even more the following year. An influx of up to $65 million — a nearly 60% bump over current funding — will help pay the full cost of preschool for disadvantaged kids whose families make up to 250% of the poverty line. The income cutoff is roughly $39,000 for a parent with one child, $59,000 for a family of four. The Republican governor, who is expected to sign the 2013-14 school spending plan soon, kicked off a conference of business and political leaders on Mackinac Island last week by saying he was ‘really proud’ of the agreement to emphasize early learning in the budget…”