Lawmakers Awaiting Report on Unemployment Debt

(AP) _ South Carolina lawmakers expect a reporton how the state will pay a tab expected to top $2 billion to repayfederal loans covering unemployment benefits and to restore thestate’s empty jobless pay trust fund. The Lucas Group’s report was expected on Friday and comes aslegislators wrap up work on overhauling operations at theEmployment Security Commission. More than half of that money could come through long-termsavings that Lucas said last week would flow mostly from changes inhow benefits are handled and who qualifies to get them. Legislators expect the rest can be made up by the economyrecovering with more people working and with higher premiums onpayrolls. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)