Georgia
Unemployment Claims Jump Almost 38%
The Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits spiked 37.7% in February. Some 40,963 laid-off workers filed first-time claims, compared with 29,738 in February 2007. The rise in claims is the eighth consecutive increase since July 2007, DOL noted.
Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

New Jersey
Family Leave Bill Advances
A bill allowing workers to take paid leaves of absence to care for family members moved closer to becoming law last week, despite a contentious Assembly debate over whether the program would hurt New Jersey's weakening economy. The Assembly passed the paid family leave act, allowing workers to apply for up to six weeks off to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or a sick parent, spouse or child. Employees could collect two-thirds of their pay, up to a maximum of $524 a week.
Source: The Star-Ledger

Louisiana
House Approves Business Tax Break
The House on Wednesday unanimously approved a $69 million tax break for businesses. House Bill 1 would eliminate 1 cent of the sales tax that businesses pay on utilities. The rest of the sales tax already is being phased out. Rep. Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge, said the tax relief is necessary to recruit business to the state and to help companies that already are here.
Source: The Advocate

Texas
Lawmaker Calls for State Microlending
Texas should diversify its economic development efforts, which center on offering incentives to large corporations, to fund microlending for small business development, a key lawmaker said Thursday. House Economic Development Chairman Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, said he would like to see some of the $258 million balance in the Texas Enterprise Fund used to help smaller companies keep their doors open or expand.
Source: Houston Chronicle

West Virginia
Legislators Rebuff Union Bills
Two efforts by unions that they believe would have protected workers from employer abuse in the workplace failed to win the necessary votes to become law as the 2008 session of the West Virginia Legislature came to a close. One bill would have prevented communication between employers and employees when the primary purpose of that communication "is to threaten, intimidate, compel, force or coerce an employee to adopt the employer's opinions or beliefs about political matters." The second bill would have mandated that employers over a certain size provide sick leave to their employees.
Source: The West Virginia State Journal