By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-838880.mp3
Dallas, TX – Texas House members on Thursday debated whether to accept 550 million dollars in federal "unemployment" stimulus money.
They considered about a dozen amendments to the Senate bill, which approved the money against the Governor's wishes.
The issue of "states rights" - recently championed by Governor Perry - surfaced with Republican Carl Isett and Democrat Richard Raymond.
Isett: If we do not stand up to Washington and begin to tell them what we thing about their strings attached - what we think about their desire to govern Texas, over the desires of Texans to govern Texas, then we tacitly endorse.
Raymond: Mr. Isett, I appreciate your ideological beliefs. And I agree with you and I wish that we as the Texas Legislature had more power than the United States Congress and Executive Branch of this country, but we don't.
Proponents say Texans struggling in this economy NEED the additional unemployment money. Opponents say it will turn into another unfunded federal mandate, and cost Texas employers.