By: Chuck Muth
Nevada News and Views

The following was just sent out by the Governor’s office:

GOVERNOR GIBBONS PREPARES ACTION BECAUSE OF LEGISLATIVE INACTION

Governor prepared to use Emergency Regulations to continue unemployment benefits

Carson City – Because of inaction by the Legislature, Governor Jim Gibbons today announced he is working with staff to craft emergency regulations that will continue assistance to working families in Nevada who have unemployed family members who are out of work through no fault of their own.

Last week, the Nevada Legislative Commission’s Subcommittee to Review Regulations refused to approve new regulations regarding the unemployment insurance taxes paid by Nevada businesses. Because of this inaction, the federal government could cut off funding for unemployment benefits for nearly 120,000 Nevadans beginning January 1, 2010.

The Nevada Employment Security Division had requested a pre-approval hearing last week so members of the Legislature could approve regulations to ensure unemployment benefits would continue to Nevada’s needy families without risk of interruption.

“I am stunned that the Legislature would show such callous disregard for Nevada families,” Gibbons said, “I plan to endorse the emergency regulations that will save the people of this state who are relying on these unemployment benefits during this difficult economic time.”

Governor Gibbons noted that men, women and children use unemployment benefits to pay for basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter.

“Legislators should be ashamed of themselves for their inaction on this matter,” Gibbons said, “They held a hearing and their approval of this matter should have been routine, but they are simply out of touch with the misery that some of our Nevada families are dealing with every day.”

Gibbons added, “I believe they are playing just politics with the pain and suffering of Nevada citizens.”

Unemployment insurance rates were set by Nevada’s Employment Security Advisory Council in October, and should have been routinely approved by the Legislature last week. Instead, the Legislature’s Subcommittee to Review Regulations took no action, leaving more than 120,000 people, including women and children, at risk of losing everything they have.