>> Barry: SENATOR HOWE, LET'S GO TO A NEW QUESTION THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD IN PREVIOUS WEEKS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED IN PRESIDING OVER THIS PROGRAM OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 3 DECADES IS HOW INVOLVED OUR VIEWERS ARE IN WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE DETAIL THAT THEY OFTEN BRING TO OUR PROGRAM.
THIS VIEWER CITES -- IS ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT A STATUS OF A BILL THAT I CONFESS I HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT, AND THAT IS PROPOSED LEGISLATION RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS.
SENATOR HOWE, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT AND ASK YOU DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WHAT CAN WE TELL OUR VIEWERS?
>> IT'S NOT ONLY SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS BUT IT'S ALL THE SEASONAL FOLKS, THE HOURLY WAGE FOLKS.
THERE'S A PUSH TO GIVE ALL THE HOURLY WAGE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, HAVE THEM QUALIFIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
THEY NEVER HAVE IN THE PAST, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY IT WAS NEVER DONE IN THE PAST.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I THINK THEY CAN TAKE YOUR WAGES OVER 12 MONTHS INSTEAD OF 9.
I KNOW TEACHERS CAN DO THAT OR SOME OF THEM COULD.
I'M NOT SURE WHY THE EARLY WAGE FOLKS WERE INCLUDED BUT THEY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THAT SYSTEM.
THERE'S BILLS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE MOOD OF THE SENATE IS ON THAT, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DISCUSSION ON IT.
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT GOES FORWARD.
BUT THE HOURLY WAGE FOLKS, CAFETERIA FOLKS, ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR BUT ARE CONSIDERED HOURLY DON'T QUALIFY RIGHT NOW FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
SO THEY ARE UNEMPLOYED IN THOSE 3 MONTHS AND HAVE TO GO FIND OTHER WORK TO KEEP THEIR INCOME GOING.
I HAVE GOT, I BELIEVE, 3 OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ACTUALLY FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY.
>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI, YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> IT'S A THURSDAY.
WE ONLY HAVE 2,173 BILLS THAT ARE INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE, WHICH IS A RECORD OF RECORDS.
SO YOU CAN PROBABLY FIND THE BILL FOR WHATEVER ISSUE YOU WANTED TO BRING UP DURING ANY CONVERSATION.
THAT'S ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS.
WE ARE NOW LITERALLY SINKING UNDER AN AVALANCHE OR TSUNAMI UNDER BILL INTRODUCTIONS.
I WOULD SEE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET A BILL FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
BUT WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT BILLS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US, IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY FAST, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS YET.
THIS SESSION IS MOVING VERY FAST.
>> Barry: YES, AND OF COURSE THE
