According to Longbine, the Senate restored a total of $16.8 million and another $7 million in 2012 for what is called the ?maintenance of effort? for the special education fund, which is a match requirement to get federal special education dollars to Kansas school districts.
?The Senate put that in, but the governor and House didn?t have it in their bills,? he said. ?We are at impasse on this.?
For the past six years, the unemployment fund balance was between $500 and $600 million, but through the current recession, Longbine said, the fund has been depleted.
?We have also borrowed $107 million from the federal government?s unemployment fund to pay claims in Kansas,? he said.
At one time, the state was adding 16,000 people a day.
?It was a disaster,? Longbine said. ?SB 77 will restore funding back to the unemployment fund, and by the end of 2013, we have to pay the money we borrowed back to the federal fund with interest.?