Kaine still wants $125 million in unemployment stimulus

No matter where he is, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine continues to press Virginia Republicans to expand state unemployment benefits to more idled workers in order to access $125 million in federal stimulus dollars.

That message was delivered on two fronts this week: in a mass e-mail sent by the governor's political action committee and from Kaine himself, speaking by telephone halfway around the globe.

Moving Virginia Forward, Kaine's PAC, this week sent an e-mail urging recipients to sign an online petition calling on Republicans to extend the state's unemployment system to make Virginia eligible for the $125 million.

So far, more than 9,000 people have signed the petition, which averages out to "a signature a minute" since it was established earlier this month, Kaine said during a conference call with reporters today, speaking from the Middle East where he is traveling on a marketing mission.

Republicans in the House of Delegates earlier this month defeated Kaine's proposal to allow part-time workers and those in job training programs to qualify for unemployment benefits, which would have allowed Virginia to receive the additional stimulus money. At present, jobless full-time workers are the primary recipients of unemployment benefits.

Republicans and business leaders opposed the proposed expansion, fearing that its costs would be unwieldy after the federal money was spent.

Democrats seem intent to tar Republicans, both now and in the fall elections, by claiming that they oppose helping unemployed workers.

Republicans counter that they approved an expansion of unemployment benefits for individuals already eligible under the current system.

During Tuesday's call from Dubai, Kaine said he "definitely had explored 'is there a way that I could do this by executive authority?' And the answer is we have not yet found such a way. Clearly, if we're going to make these eligibility adjustments, we're going to have to do it with the support of the legislature."

Calling the legislature back to Richmond for a special session is a possibility, the governor added, but only if he gets the sense that House Republicans are willing to reconsider their position.

Republicans officials, meanwhile, insist their stance is firm.

-- Julian Walker

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