Lawmakers OK bills on jobless benefits, employment agency

The Sun Herald, 6/4/8

The Mississippi House and Senate have approved proposals to increase the state’s jobless benefits and reauthorize its employment agency.

The passage of the bills came after two hours of contentious debate as many lawmakers, many from the impoverished Delta region, argued against increasing jobless benefits only for those on the higher end of the salary scale.

The bill reauthorizing the Mississippi Department of Employment Security includes a provision that would require the agency to come up for review within two years. The agency handles job training programs and distributes unemployment benefits.