South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter introduced H.3940 in April to fix the current
situation with the ESC.

[Columbia, SC -] House Democrats are glad that the Republican
leadership has decided to call a special legislative session to ensure
that thousands of unemployed South Carolinians receive the extended
unemployment benefits from the federal government.

S.C. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, introduced H.3940 April 22
with a simple, single purpose: to fix a funding formula to allow South
Carolinians to receive extended unemployment benefits. The federally
funded benefits were part of President Obama’s economic recovery plan,
and Cobb-Hunter’s bill was the urgent action needed to allow South
Carolina to qualify.

Cobb-Hunter’s bill currently resides in the House Ways and Means
committee and was never taken up for discussion.  Instead, the
Republican House leadership took Cobb-Hunter’s provision and wrapped
it in a sprawling, 102-page bill that dealt with controversial
Employment Security Commission restructuring proposals. While
restructuring the Employment Security Commission may be something the
legislature should look at, both Republicans and Democrats had strong
objections to many of the proposals being offered.  Therefore, the
bill failed to pass. Republicans refused to pass the technical fix as
a stand-alone bill as Cobb-Hunter had proposed.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of South Carolinians missed out on the
opportunity to receive extended unemployment benefits.

“It is our hope that the Republican leadership will adopt the
appropriate language that is necessary to bring relief to the families
in South Carolina who desperately need the extended benefits,” said
House Minority Leader Harry Ott.

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