Van De Wege stands up for struggling Harborites

Sequim legislator says even small increase in unemployment check ‘means a lot’

April 26, 2009

OLYMPIA – As the 2009 Legislative Session got down to the wire, a bill to overhaul the state’s unemployment insurance program was still being debated on the floor of the House.

The measure, which originated in the Senate, would decrease the amount of unemployment tax Washington’s employers pay. It narrowly passed the House a couple of weeks ago, but with a few tweaks added, including increasing the multiplier used to calculate the weekly benefit. This means unemployment checks would be a little higher each week for most people.

The Senate refused to accept the House’s changes, and asked the House to back down.

But Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D – Sequim) was adamant that the House needed to stand firm.

“When I was a child, my dad was laid off,” Van De Wege said in a speech from the House floor. “This amount of money - $30 or $50 extra dollars a month – meant a lot to me as a child.”

Van De Wege added that even a modest boost in unemployment benefits can mean that an unemployed parent can buy a jersey for their child to participate in Little League.

But the House ultimately did vote to back down, and the bill passed without the amendments. Van De Wege voted against the bill.

“I’m disappointed, to say the least,” Van De Wege said. “Grays Harbor County has a 14.1 percent unemployment rate. The federal government extended unemployment benefits, but I’m concerned the economy won’t rebound before those benefits run out.”

The bill number is SB 5963. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn by midnight on April 26.