Sen. Gene McLaurin (D-Richmond) filed a bill Thursday that would award a $2,000 tax credit to businesses that hire the long-term unemployed.
“Our district has been particularly hard hit by the recession and too many of our friends and neighbors remain out of work,” McLaurin wrote in a press release. “Recognizing that employers are still concerned about adding to their payroll, this legislation provides an incentive to companies to hire qualified employees who have been out of work for a prolonged period of time.”
According to the bill, business owners would be eligible if they hired and retained the employee for at least one year.
Qualified employees would be those who have received the maximum regular benefits allowed during a benefit year and who have not been employed since the receiving benefits.
McLaurin is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Josh Stein (D-Wake).
McLaurin also filed legislation — again co-sponsored by Stein — to extend the earned income tax credit for five more years.
The tax credit “expands our workforce, encourages gainful employment, and provides much-needed relief for hard working families,” McLaurin wrote in a release.
Originally passed in 1975, McLaurin said the bill has garnered support from both sides of the aisle.
“I am pleased to file this bill to help hard-working people in our district and across the state,” he wrote.
“These two bills support working families, help unemployed people find a job, and give the business community an incentive to hire more people,” McLaurin wrote. “Creating jobs is my top priority and I remain focused on ways we can work together to make that happen.”
WASHINGTON — Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08) said his support Wednesday for a bill that would fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year is just the beginning.
“We have a spending crisis in our country, and today, the House passed historic spending cuts that immediately reduce Washington’s unprecedented debt levels,” Hudson wrote in a press release.
“This is only a first step towards our goal of balancing the budget in 10 years. We are just beginning our work to reduce our debt and create an atmosphere that fosters economic growth and job creation,” Hudson wrote.
Hudson, a Republican, said the cuts will help restore military funding and work to force changes to the President’s health care plan.
“Today’s vote was also a partial de-funding of Obamacare,” he wrote. “It forces agencies to operate at pre-Obamacare levels, making it harder for agencies to put resources towards implementing this costly and devastating healthcare overhaul.”