Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr has released the following statement regarding today’s Senate vote on Senate Bill No. 8, a proposal to freeze the unemployment insurance rate for Massachusetts’ employers:“By taking action today and freezing the rate schedule, we are effectively reducing the average premium increase for employers from a devastating 40 percent to a more manageable 10 percent, while saving them an average of $193 per employee. The Senate’s decision to take up this matter now reflects the sense of urgency that we all feel in trying to provide immediate financial relief to the state’s small businesses. The money that will thus remain in the private sector will pay lasting dividends by spurring economic growth and recovery from the recession.
I want to be clear, however, that the Senate Republican Caucus’ support of this rate freeze is by no means an indication that we are satisfied with continuing with the status quo. On the contrary, we see today’s vote as nothing more than a stop-gap, band-aid approach to a much bigger problem that will require substantial reforms if we hope to achieve true and lasting long-term relief for the businesses we rely on to create jobs and drive the state’s economy. We look forward to a vigorous debate on these reform proposals as the new legislative session unfolds, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that this debate takes place as soon as possible.”
