Lexington Herald-Leader: Lawmakers override Beshear’s vetoes. Votes will cut jobless benefits, cost KY food stamps.
Berry Craig
By JOHN CHEVES
The Republican-majority General Assembly late Monday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes of two bills in which the governor had urged lawmakers to show compassion for Kentuckians facing hard times.
In one measure, House Bill 4, the state of Kentucky will reduce the length of time that unemployment insurance benefits are available to workers who lose their jobs.
Instead of providing jobless benefits for up to 26 weeks, as most states do, Kentucky will dramatically shrink that time by indexing benefits to a recent three-month statewide unemployment average. It also will require people to take any “suitable” job that’s available in their region, even if it’s outside their career field.