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(c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
| Source: |
Associated Press |
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133 |
LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan Gov.
Rick Snyder
has signed a bill continuing federal jobless benefits while reducing the length of state-level unemployment benefits for new filers starting in 2012.
The Republican governor signed the bill Monday.
It reduces state jobless benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks as of January. It also will allow up to 150,000 Michigan residents to continue receiving extended federal unemployment benefits they otherwise would lose by the end of the year.
Michigan's two Democratic U.S. senators and six congressmen sent a letter to
Snyder Monday
asking him to veto the bill because it reduces state benefits.
Snyder said in a statement he signed it because he didn't want 35,000 jobless workers to abruptly lose their unemployment checks as they would have if the measure wasn't signed by Friday.
