MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Bob Holden remains dubious about calling a special session this month.
"I have not made a decision whether we will have a special session or not," Holden said at an employee recognition ceremony in the capitol rotunda.
A possible special session would discuss the issue of the Senior RX bill and financing the insolvent unemployment compensation fund with bonds.
Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell strongly recommended a special session of the General Assembly convene to discuss the financing of the unemployment compensation fund.
"I'm not getting a great deal of interest on the part of a lot of the leaders on having a special session," said Holden.
Rep. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, Republican floor leader, said the issues don't warrant calling a special session.
"I am in opposition towards the governor calling a special session on either one of those topics," he said. "It's unnecessary, special sessions denote something special."
The unemployment compensation fund, which has been bankrupt since 2003, has been financed through Federal loans paid by tax credits from employers statewide.
A special session would discuss whether financing through bonds might ease employer's tax burden.
"Nothing in unemployment compensation is simple," said Kelly Gillespie of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, an organization representing nearly 3,000 employers.
"This is an issue that a lot of substantial progress was made during the 2004 regular session," he said.
Passed as House Bill 1268, the legislation provided a comprehensive rewrite of Missouri's unemployment statutes, promising to bring solvency back to the unemployment fund.
A bond issue would allow the state to finance the unemployment fund at a lower interest rate than Federal loans.
"It's our position that there should not be a special session," said Gary Marble of special interest group, Associated Industries. "This is an extremely difficult issue to understand and it's going to take time to walk through the remedies."
"The sky is not falling right now," said Marble. "Let's wait until January and debate this issue at length."