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On Friday, the State House passed a bill to give workers higher unemployment benefits. Soon, the Senate is expected to follow suit:
Those temporary increases would take effect in May, the earliest the state Employment Security Department can implement, said Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee and prime sponsor of House Bill 1906. They would remain in place until Jan. 3, 2010, then drop back down to the regular range.
Although the higher benefits are just temporary, it is good to see the state government stepping up to help its people in these harsh economic times, trying to salvage our deteriorating economic security.