Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, urged support for HB 109, the bill to make a technical change required to keep Idaho from becoming ineligible this summer for $65 million in federal extended unemployment benefits. "I don't support a welfare system," Eskridge told the House. "I appreciate the fact that we want to help people with a hand up instead of a hand out." But, he said, "Those people are in a bad situation. We talk about people being on unemployment for two years. In my district, we've been in this recession for more than two years. ... In my county, in Bonner County, we have 2,700 people on our unemployment rolls and the Department of Labor is showing 60 jobs, and the applicants for those jobs are numerous. We're beyond the age of people getting unemployment because they don't want to work." He said, "It's justified to extend these benefits until our economy gets better and those people that want jobs can find jobs. I can tell you, that's not the situation now."

Rep. Sharon Block, R-Twin Falls, chairwoman of the House Commerce Committee, noted that the bill was debated at length in her committee and it won support; she also noted that Idaho business interests, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, are backing the bill.