Resolution to accept stimulus deferred

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 14, 2009 - Page: 8B

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A House committee Wednesday deferred a resolution aimed at accepting $98 million in federal stimulus funds for unemployment benefits.

House Concurrent Resolution No. 8 would express the Legislature’s intent to accept money that Gov. Bobby Jindal rejected.

The legislation was the only measure among a handful of unemployment stimulus-related bills on the committee’s agenda to come up for debate.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission’s executive director, Tim Barfield, told the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations that accepting the money eventually would lead to increased taxes for businesses.

The financial burden will quickly outpace the benefit, he said.

The resolution’s sponsor, state Rep. Rickey Hardy, argued that the stimulus money is just as affordable as giving millions of dollars to Saints football team owner Tom Benson.

State Rep. Herbert Dixon, D-Alexandria, also argued in favor of accepting the money.
“$98 million is $98 million,” he said.

State Rep. Erich Ponti, R-Baton Rouge, said the long-term effects of the stimulus money could put the state in a dire situation.

If businesses have to pay increased taxes, more jobs will be lost, Ponti predicted.

“This is a tough issue,” Barfield said.

He said the stimulus would wind up putting stress on businesses and result in even more layoffs.

State Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, asked Hardy to voluntarily defer the legislation. Hardy, D-Lafayette, refused.

The committee voted 6-3 to defer the legislation anyway.