Gov. Rick Perry's refusal to take $555 million in federal unemployment insurance cash has taken a double blow from legislators. On April 20, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1569, which will place the state in compliance with the Federal Unemployment Insurance Modernization provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: In simple terms, by making changes to the state's unemployment law (including allowing job-seekers looking for full- or part-time positions to apply for benefits), Texas can receive the federal cash. This came after Reps. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas, and Armando Walle, D-Houston, amended the state budget so that if Perry refuses to accept the reforms, his Texas Enterprise Fund loses its $136 million budget and the cash goes to the comptroller's Employment and Training Investment Holding Fund. Texas AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller called this a "step in overcoming political and ideological opposition to a commonsense move."
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