Update- This six week extension of benefits was passed on the House floor Thursday morning and passed through the Senate on Friday morning.

BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- The House Committee on Business and Labor approved an extension of unemployment benefits Wednesday, passing the bill along to a later vote on the House floor.

According to the Oregon Employment Department, the extension would cover the 4,000-4,500 people not currently covered by unemployment insurance. It allows for $19,000,000 in added benefits for long-term unemployment and qualifies the state to receive additional federal funding.

Testimony from union representatives of the AFL-CIO and SEIU gave support to the bill, calling it an important step, though perhaps inadequate in getting people back to work. Support also came from the Employment Department and Associated Oregon Industries.

Rep. Michael Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, took a moment to speak during the hearing to address problems with job creation in the state.

“Anybody who says ‘no’ to LNG is saying ‘no’ to family wage jobs and ‘no’ to their children,” said Schaufler. “We’ve been processed to death for eight years in this building and we’re going nowhere but down. And we have no one left to tax.”

Aside from a few technical questions for those who testified, no obvious dissent of the bill was presented during the hearing.