House Speaker Bobby Harrell and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell said in a joint statement: “The General Assembly will take quick action to fix this oversight by the ESC to ensure that unemployed South Carolinians will not suffer further by being denied this Federal benefit.
“It is unfortunate that the Legislature must return to fix this problem, this oversight was completely avoidable and further highlights the need for reforming the ESC from a reactive check writing agency into a proactive job placement agency. Just as the ESC waited until the 11th hour to warn the General Assembly about the dwindling Unemployment Trust Fund, again the ESC has laid this problem at the feet of lawmakers at the last possible minute.”
Members of the Pickens County Legislative Delegation agreed that the move was necessary to secure federal funding that will allow many of the state’s unemployed to continue receiving benefits.
Last week, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer called on legislators to join him in calling for a special session of the General Assembly in order to fix a problem that is stopping South Carolina from drawing on federal funding that would extend unemployment benefits an additional 20 weeks.
“We need action, not words, to tap these federal funds to help more than 100,000 of our neighbors and friends who have exhausted their unemployment benefits,” he said.
Bauer said that a special session is needed to amend technicalities in the extended benefits statue that is currently preventing the state from drawing on the federal funds.
Rep. Phil Owens said the legislature should avoid a special session, if other means to fix the issue to enable the extension of benefits can be found.
“But if the expense of recalling us to Columbia is weighed against the benefits that would be received by the people of South Carolina, that would extended their unemployment benefits, that’s something that should be done, in my opinion, if we feel that we can get that extension.”
Recalling all legislators to Columbia for a special session could cost in excess of $50,000, Owens estimated.
Rep. Davey Hiott said that legislators should go without pay during the special session, if one is called.
“I’d like to see us go down there without pay,” he said. “I like to see all of us say we’re going to forfeit our pay and do what we need to do. As leaders of the state, we need to say ‘I’m not willing to take any money to come down here and help the people of South Carolina. That’s what our job is.”
Harrell and McConnell said that legislators will receive no pay for reconvening.
Hiott said he’s received many phone calls from constituents worried their unemployment benefits will run out.
“They’re concerned it’s going to stop,” he said. “I think we have to do whatever we have to do to make sure they get their checks.”
Rep. Rex Rice said the legislator needs to go beyond securing an extension of unemployment, and work on creating jobs.
“There’s no doubt that we have to correct the situation,” said Rep. B.R. Skelton, adding that securing the federal funds will come at no cost to South Carolina taxpayers.
“We really don’t have any alternative except to correct the situation,” he said. “Had we known at the beginning, during the legislative session that this was a concern, we would have corrected it then. We simply were not made aware of that.”
Legislators predicted that fixing the matter should only take a couple of days.
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