South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Columbia, S.C. * October 29, 2009 * Gov. Sanford today signed into law
Senate bill 374, which extends benefits to the unemployed under the
stimulus act. The bill passed with unanimous, bipartisan support and
was made necessary by an oversight at the Employment Security
Commission (ESC).

“The fact that this bill was even necessary is yet another reminder
that reforming the ESC is imperative if we’re going to address the
unemployment issue in a serious way,” Gov. Sanford said. “I’d give
real credit to Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter for offering a legislative
solution to this problem earlier this year, and to Rep. Kenny Bingham
for moving quickly to get the issue resolved once it came fully to
light. Given the continued lack of meaningful reform at the ESC, an
Unemployment Insurance Fund deficit fast approaching $1 billion, and
the potential of counterproductive tax increases on the state’s
businesses, it’s my hope that we can move forward on reforming the
agency as quickly as possible in this next legislative session.”

“While it’s good that the unemployed across South Carolina will in
fact receive these extended federal benefits because of the General
Assembly’s prompt action,” Majority Leader Kenny Bingham said, “this
potentially harmful oversight shines a spotlight on the pressing need
for reforming the Employment Security Commission. We were within a few
votes of passing substantive reform legislation earlier this year, and
I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Governor’s Office
to push it through this coming session.”

“I appreciate the fact that my colleagues in the General Assembly took
care of this problem with all deliberate speed, so that South
Carolinians looking for work don’t have to bear the consequences of
mistakes they had nothing to do with,” said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter.

This bill goes into effect immediately, and also is retroactive for
those whose unemployment benefits have already been stopped.

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