House Passes Lousy Unemployment Insurance Bill

Yesterday, the House passed an unacceptable version of unemployment insurance reform. Business groups, including members of WashACE, had urged lawmakers to passSenate Bill 5963 as it came from the Senate. The House Commerce and Labor Committee had taken that good legislation and tacked on amendments that increased UI benefits, assuring future tax increases for employers, and weakened language clarifying when workers who voluntarily quite their jobs could qualify for UI benefits. The legislation passed yesterday, after a flurry of amendments and heated floor speeches, reflects the committee's work.

Joe Turner provides background at his TNT blog. Yeterday's Seattle Times editorial explains why the House shouldn't have messed up a good bill.

The irony of yesterday's action did not escape Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee.

"The irony is that the day after the governor rolls out her plan to make Washington more competitive and improve the state's business climate, her allies in the House decide to raise business taxes and she's nowhere to be found," said Condotta.

The bill now goes back to the Senate, where Senators should insist on their original bill.