The Idaho House is currently debating HB 109, a measure that makes a technical change to prevent Idaho from becoming ineligible for extended federal unemployment benefits this summer. Numerous House members have debated against the bill. There are currently 17,000 Idahoans receiving those extended benefits; there is no cost to the state, as they are fully federally funded. Bob Fick of the Idaho Department of Labor said if the bill is voted down, Idaho would lose about $65 million in federal unemployment benefits; about 2,000 Idahoans would lose their unemployment benefits immediately when the state becomes ineligible, while another 600 to 700 would lose their benefits each week thereafter; by the end of the year, no Idahoans would receive the extended federal benefits.

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, said, "It's time to lead the horse away from the trough." Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, said, "My concern with this particular piece of legislation is that we are creating a welfare state."

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said, "If we continue this, all we are going to do is enable. ... We're out of money. ... At some point, we have to stand up and say, 'That's enough.'" Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, said, "I think we would be better off to get people back to work, try to get the economy flowing. If we keep giving em money, that isn't going to happen." He added, "We need to back away from the federal government's money."