BILL MINOR: Phil Bryant viewed as Mississippi’s manufacturers’ group candidate
Who’s afraid of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association? Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, that’s who. As most Mississippians know, Republican Bryant is running for governor next year. Put another way: the MMA is running Bryant for governor next year.
Behind the scenes in the just-ended 2010 Legislature, Mississippi’s 157,000 jobless workers had $18 million in federal recovery unemployment insurance benefits snatched from them by connivance between Bryant and MMA’s brain trust. Make that read Jay Moon, MMA’s honcho.
Gov. Haley Barbour had rejected $56 million from President Obama’s $728 billion stimulus package that would have extended unemployment benefits if the state enacted several small modernization reforms in its jobless insurance system. Barbour objected to making reforms, contending they would eventually lead to increases in payroll taxes paid by businesses into the unemployment trust fund. Qualified observers say differently.
In the last days of the session, with reauthorization of the state Employment Service stymied by House Democrats, Barbour relented on adoption of one reform, an “alternative base period” to allow workers to count recent earnings if needed to qualify for unemployment benefits. Though not publicized, Barbour made a deal with Democratic Rep. Rufus Straughter of Belzoni, chairman of the House Labor Committee, not to oppose the reform if Straughter lifted his hold on state Employment Service renewal.
nems360.com
5/6/10
Magnolia Tribune
