LANSING, Mich.-- Senate Democrats today continued to advocate for Michigan’s unemployed workers and called for action on the House-passed unemployment modernization legislation to receive $138.9 million from federal funds. Feeling the heat after they opposed this effort yesterday, Senate Republicans sought to pass an unrelated unemployment package today that does nothing to help struggling families.

“Saying you support Michigan workers and taking action on their behalf are two very different things, and these bills today are just a smokescreen to distract from the Senate Republicans’ real inaction on securing additional unemployment benefits for Michigan workers,” said Senate Democratic Leader Mike Prusi (D-Ishpeming). “The bills we sought to pass yesterday would secure federal funding to help counteract the state’s loss of manufacturing jobs and train Michigan workers for new and growing fields, and every day we wait prolongs the suffering of our workforce.”

Senate Democrats forced a vote on the House-passed two-bill unemployment modernization package yesterday. House Bill 4785 would allow individuals enrolled in a state-approved jobs training program to receive unemployment insurance benefits for an extra 26 weeks. House Bill 4786 would allow individuals working between 16 and 40 hours per week to become eligible for unemployment insurance benefits beginning after January 1, 2011. Senators Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) and Deb Cherry (D-Burton) have introduced identical Senate bills that have not been acted upon by the Republican majority. Republicans denied working families help by opposing the bills and are now scheduled to take a two week vacation.

“If Senate Republicans were really concerned about Michigan’s unemployed, they would have passed the bills that were before the chamber yesterday,” said Senator Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit). “Michigan families are looking to us for a lifeline during these difficult times, and with these bills, we could have provided immediate assistance.”

Michigan Senate Democrats recently launched a website calling for action on this plan that eleven other states have already approved to receive the funding allocated to them. The site, www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/helpmiworkers, encourages visitors to sign a petition and contact Republican Senators to demand support for the legislation.

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