Why Barbour says he's turning down unemployment $ [View All]

[DeltaLitProf]

He says he won't take it because Mississippi would be obliged, before taking the $50 million for unemployment benefits, to change its laws. Is this actually true? Other Republicans in our state are dutifully making that case, too. See Right-wing MS Rep. Greg Snowden here on his clarion-ledger blog:

"Prof -- The so-called "Clyburn amendment" to the stimulus bill relates to whether governors may simply refuse stimulus funds. If they try to do this, there is a joint resolution process by which the legislatures can overrule the governor if they so chose. That, precisely, is the "end-run" Clyburn engineered.

But -- and please pay attention here -- this is NOT that situation. In order to be eligible to even consider accepting the relatively small fraction of stimulus monies in question here, Mississippi statutory law would have to be changed to pay unemployment compensation to part-time workers. As with all legislation, this would require the legislature (both houses)to pass a bill, subject to the governor's signature or veto.

These four governors are not objecting to taking the stimulus monies per se -- what they object to is making a permanent change in their state's laws to change the way the unemployment compensation system works. The so-called "Clyburn amendment" does not stretch that far. The Congress can entice and cajole the states to change their laws, and in certain areas Federal law may preempt state law, but as a general proposition, Congress cannot dictate to states that they must change their law. Congress can (as here) placed "strings" on whether Federal money is available if the states do not change the law as contemplated. But, the process for changing the statues is the same as always. That is why we have a Constitution."

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=f9232df91a5c4711842d6b139e76c5d3&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3af9232df91a5c4711842d6b139e76c5d3Post%3a3ae50b58-55fe-4bc0-9fb9-7b165b91b5b4&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.clarionledger.com

I am unable to trust the word of anyone from the Mississippi GOP. Is he right when he says states much change their laws to receive this money? Is Mississippi a special case, or does this situation apply to all other states too?