Bill Likely To Get Another Short Extension
November 4, 2009
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 by Darren Goode and Dan Friedman
House and Senate disagreements over extending surface transportation law over several months are likely to lead to a one-month fix, a key Senate Republican said Tuesday.
Environment and Public Works ranking member James Inhofe said he and Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer are pushing for a bicameral agreement on extending the law for six months. But, he noted, “the level of optimism I have is not very high.”
Inhofe said the result is likely that the law — which expires Saturday — will be given a second consecutive one-month extension in a continuing resolution both chambers are expected to move this week.
Inhofe and Boxer are meeting resistance from House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar, who wants to only extend the law another two months, keeping the pressure on to finish a six-year bill by the end of this year.
Senate Democratic leaders and the Obama administration have conceded that priorities like health care, financial regulatory reform, appropriations and climate change do not leave nearly enough time to make such quick work on a six-year bill.
UI Tax Rate Increase – Governor’s Legislative Proposal
November 4, 2009
Attached are documents from the October 22, 2009 Unemployment Insurance Oversight Committee meeting which contain: (1) the letter which all Maryland employers will receive shortly from DLLR regarding the upcoming Jan. 1, 2010 UI tax rate increase; and (2) a description of the Administration’s legislative proposal that will increase UI benefit payments as a condition of receiving $126.8 million in federal stimulus funds that would be deposited into the UI Trust Fund.
The Governor’s Chief of Staff indicated the Governor is giving the UI tax rate issue a lot of attention. The Administration is likely to introduce legislation that will temporarily reduce the interest on late payments of UI taxes. The UI Division will work with employers who are experiencing large tax rate increases to spread UI tax payments (due in April) over three months. Employers will be informed of their new tax rate in December.
MD’s UI Trust Fund could benefit from $126.8 million in federal stimulus funds which will assist in bringing down the UI tax rates by enacting three legislative provisions that will provide additional benefits to unemployed workers. The Governor would like to access the total $126.8 million amount.
MD would have to enact an alternative base period which is used in calculating earnings for purposes of being eligible to receive benefits. Current law calculates earnings based on the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. The alternative base period proposal would look at the most recent quarter (last four completed calendar quarters), if an individual did not earn enough in the traditional base period. This provision would provide $42 million in federal funds and result in an annual benefit payout amount of $17 million.
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In addition, the remaining two-thirds of the federal money would be distributed if MD enacts two of the following four options:
· Benefits for part-time workers – amendments to the 2009 part-time workers benefit law would be enacted (no significant fiscal impact is anticipated for this change);
· Voluntarily quitting work for compelling family reasons, including domestic violence, illness or disability of an individual’s immediate family, or accompanying a spouse to his/her job ($6.8 million in annual benefit payments);
· 26 weeks of additional UI benefits in training programs, provided the unemployed individual has exhausted all regular UI benefits and is enrolled in and making satisfactory progress in either a state-approved training program or a job training program authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 ($1.8 million in annual benefit payments); and
· Increased dependents’ allowances – MD law currently provides an $8 benefit per dependent up to 5 dependents, except for 40% of all claimants who receive the maximum weekly benefit amount. The law would have to be amended to increase the dependents allowance to $15 per dependent with a $50 cap and make eligible those claimants who receive the maximum weekly benefit amount ($15.6 million in annual benefit payments).
The UI Oversight Committee will make a recommendation on this proposal. The Committee’s next meeting is Nov 10th so please share with me your views in advance of the Nov 10 meeting.
Committee comment seems to be leaning toward accessing the entire $126.8 million and providing the training benefit.
Whether any additional changes to the UI law will be recommended is unclear. The Md Chamber of Commerce representative suggested doing away with the guaranteed 26 weeks of benefits and moving to a variable duration of benefits which is used by most states.
Class Date: October 20, 2009
November 5, 2009
The following people passed the Certification Exam.
Jeff Bailey
Siva Balu
John Bedell
David Brocato
Jessie Burneston
Kevin Chambers
James Cole
Jacob Deaner
Kevin Hawkins
George Herron
James Hess
Harry Hines
Sherrita Holand
Somendra Kahatapitiya
Matthew Kline
Joshua Payne
Jon Schriber
Mahita Smith
Government Employees
Angelo Groves
Jack Hawkins
Ed Keller
Bruce Knott
Larry Snyder
Fall MTBMA/SHA Districts 3, 4 and 5/ MdTA Meeting
August 24, 2009
| Nov ’09 |
| 9 |
| 11:00 am |
Program and Lunch
Marriott Hunt Valley
245 Shawan Road
Hunt Valley MD
Registration Forms
Crane/ Lifting Technical Seminar
October 16, 2009
| Nov ’09 |
| 11 |
| 2:30 pm |
Ronald M. Kohner, P.E., President – Landmark Engineering Services, will conduct a Crane/ Lifting Technical Seminar on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Engineer’s Club. $50 per person
- Mr. Kohner’s presentation will include:
- Overview of Mobile Crane Characteristics/Advantages
- Rating Charts and overloading
- Managing Cranes on a Construction Site
- Regulations & Standards
- Download more information or to RSVP contact Richard Feliciano .
Leadership Council
February 17, 2009
| Nov ’09 |
| 18 |
| 1:30 pm |
MTBMA Office
1:30 PM
Class Date: October 23, 2009
November 19, 2009
The following people passed the Certification Exam.
John Arnie
Nigel Arnie
Gerard Fowlkes
Chris Ganonng
Chris Gellert
Brian Kendall
Joshua Kendall
Michael Lashley
Glenn Manning
Fred Rhoades, Jr.
Jason Watson
Government Employees
Raymond Edwards
Gary Hunt
Class Date: October 28, 2009
November 19, 2009
The following people passed the Certification Exam.
Government Employees
Earl Addison, Jr.
Daniel Barbour
Bobby Bynum, Jr.
Indy Davies Morris
Gregory Edwards
Gregory Hawkins
Derek Jones
Roosevelt Lyons, III
Kelvin Plummer
DeAngelo Smith
Carnell Snow, Jr.
Donald Thomas
Garfield Williams
Richard Windsor
Class Date: November 5, 2009
November 19, 2009
The following people passed the Certification Exam.
Lee Brown
Brian Friend
David Johns, Jr.
Shawn Johnston
Dennis Shelmerdine
Allan Snider
Jason Stone
Government Employees
Robert Forney
William Fritz
Gary Kipe
James Mathews
George Shankle
Dale Stitely
Michael Winpigler
MTBMA Executive Committee
February 10, 2009
| Nov ’09 |
| 19 |
| 3:00 pm |
Hilton BWI
3 PM
