Dems for unemployment compensation

By: Scott Gilbert

Democrats in the Pennsylvania State Senate are pressuring their Republican colleagues to pass a bill that would extend unemployment compensation benefits beyond the current 72 weeks.

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Earlier this month, the House passed and sent to the Senate legislation that would free up another seven weeks of jobless benefits with federal stimulus dollars.

Democratic Senator Christina Tartaglione says it's time to bring the measure to the floor for a vote.

She says until that happens, more than 17-thousand jobless workers whose benefits ran out on Friday will suffer.

Tartaglione: The checks that sustain their families through the recession will end. Homes will be lost, children will be uprooted, the fabric of our communities will be torn.

Senate Labor and Industry Committee Chairman John Gordner agrees the bill is important. But, the Republican says he just recently got the opportunity to view it for the first time.

Gordner: I've had it in my committee for one week, and just in order to make sure that we understand all of the consequences of it, especially as it relates to additional costs for the state, additional costs for municipalities, additional costs for school districts, we're just doing our due diligence on it.

Gordner adds people whose benefits have already been exhausted would still be eligible for an extension, whenever the bill passes.