Big money to stop teacher layoffs heads toward passage; House being called back from break
By Andrew Taylor, APThursday, August 5, 2010
Jobs bill to stop teacher layoffs nears approval
WASHINGTON — The votes of a couple of GOP moderates are expected to help keep legislation on track that would provide billions to save the jobs of teachers and other public workers.
Democrats cracked a GOP filibuster on Wednesday, and the House was being called back from its summer break for an expected final vote next week to help cash-strapped states and school districts.
The $26 billion measure would help states ease their severe budget problems and, advocates say, stop the layoffs of perhaps 300,000 teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees. Though scaled back, the bill also would salvage a victory for Democrats who have been unable to deliver most of the help with jobs they and President Barack Obama promised.
