Jun 17, 2011 2 min read

HARRISBURG — State Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, voted Thursday for legislation that ensures 130,000 Pennsylvanians who are unemployed would receive 13 weeks of federally funded extended unemployment benefits while they look for work.

The legislation (Senate Bill) passed the House and now goes back to the Senate for concurrence.

?’We needed to pass this bill so that 45,000 unemployed citizens would continue to receive their unemployment benefits,” Mahoney said. “My constituents need to have their benefits continue in order to pay their mortgage and put food on the table.”

Mahoney said the eligibility standard for high unemployment is measured against the same month during the last two years. In December, the federal government gave some states the authority to look back over three years to meet the high unemployment level.

Mahoney said the changes proposed by some House Republicans would have reduced benefits and eligibility for future unemployed workers such as dramatically reducing the weekly benefit rate for average workers and changing definitions so that people who quit for good reason or who are fired for a mistake that was not intentional could not receive benefits.

Mahoney said House Democrats continually fought Republicans on this issue to make sure that unemployment benefits were not interrupted for 45,000 Pennsylvanians.

The changes proposed by some Republicans would have toughened eligibility for workers who voluntary quit jobs for necessary and compelling reasons, such as domestic violence, child or elder care, or to move to maintain employment of a spouse.

The changes would have also made workers ineligible for benefits if they are fired for misconduct or negligence — not just willful misconduct — which would have penalized workers who do not intentionally make mistakes or who disobey an employer in order to avoid an illegal action.