For anyone who worries about how partisan politics has become, there was some encouraging news Thursday when the state’s Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council voted unanimously for a couple of significant motions relating to Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance (UI) system. The Council, which is made up of half labor and half management representatives, strives to develop consensus recommendations to the Governor and Legislature for any changes to Wisconsin’s UI benefits and financing. The Council hadn’t met in several months, and it has been unclear whether it will continue to be the preferred means for developing the policies that shape Wisconsin’s UI system. The first unanimous vote was to endorse a letter to Governor Walker urging him to veto the changes to UI benefits that were added into the state budget bill by the Joint Finance Committee, in order to allow the Council to negotiate these issues. Considering that negotiation seems to be an endangered form of political problem solving, it was a relief to hear the labor and management members of the Council endorse continuation of the consensus process that has been used in Wisconsin over the past 75 years for nearly all of the UI policymaking. Read more in a Budget Project Blog post about the Council’s letter to the Governor.
The other vote was to recommend restoration of federally-funded extended UI benefits, which could provide an infusion of $89 million for Wisconsin’s jobless workers and our economy. A short Wisconsin Budget Project paper released Thursday morning describes the importance of restoring the extended benefits program (which ran out in WI in April), and it counters the argument that jobless benefits cause a significant increase in the length of unemployment. Among 40 or so states eligible for the extended benefits, Wisconsin is one of just nine that have either decided not to accept the funding or has yet to act on the issue.
The ball is now in the court of the Governor and GOP leaders in the Legislature, who must decide whether to respect the longstanding consensus process, which avoids partisanship, or to strike out on a very partisan path that departs sharply from the 75-year history of negotiated agreements on the UI system. We may get at least a partial answer this Sunday when the Governor signs the budget bill and reveals his vetoes. And we may also learn soon whether Assembly and Senate leaders are willing to try to expedite consideration of a bill making the technical change to accept the funding for extended benefits, or whether that pressing issue is delayed until at least the fall session.
Read more in a second Budget Project blog post about the Council’s votes.
Jon Peacock
