Sunshine needed on unemployment cuts
Last week lawmakers voted to put Michigan on the map by being the only state to cut the traditional period of unemployment from 26 weeks to 20 weeks.
This was done without hearings on the issue or any public notice. It was slipped into another bill and passed both chambers in a single day. There was no chance for the public to testify, analyze or debate the issue, though opponents in the Legislature protested vociferously. Perhaps the grandest of all ironies was that this action was taken just after Sunshine Week – a week set aside to emphasize the importance of open government and the need for sunshine on our governmental processes. Gov. Snyder signed the legislation on Monday.
The Detroit Free Press editorialized on the stealthy nature of the passage, noting that such a significant change was not even mentioned in press releases from the Legislature and governor’s office. Instead, the releases touted the technical fix that allows 35,000 jobless workers to get the final 20 weeks of unemployement that Congress approved in December.
The issue is now drawing national attention. Demos, a New York-based public policy organization, gave our governor a Social Darwin Award for signing the legislation. It also made the front page of the New York Times Monday and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered did a segment on it Wednesday. Tom Parks of Lansing told NPR that unemployment benefits were a lifesaver when he was unexpectedly laid off shortly after his marriage. Without strong unemployment benefits, Tom said he and his wife would have had to file for bankrupty, walk away from their mortgage and move to another state. Tom’s employed now — the unemployment benefits did what they were supposed to do in getting his family through a tough time.
Today, the Detroit News takes a look at the backlash, quoting League President & CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs.
“We’ve had, until recently, the highest unemployment in the country,” Jacobs said. ”Why we would want to further put people into an even more precarious position is what I don’t understand. We ought to be investing in the people of Michigan and helping them find a way to pay their mortgages and put food on the table.”
Thankfully, Rep. Jim Ananich of Flint and Sen. Tupac Hunter of Detroit are introducing legislation to restore the 26 weeks.
If Michigan is to be a place where thoughtful public policy is enacted in a proper, open way, our state leaders need to go back to the start line and conduct a do-over. Legislators and Gov. Snyder owe workers, their families and the public an open debate on such a major policy shift. Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville offered this amendment to cut a family’s benefits by six weeks without regard to the public’s right to know. He has the power to make amends by calling for public hearings and a proper vote on this matter.
– Judy Putnam
