Mo. Senate passes bill extending federal jobless benefits, cutting state-funded benefits

The Missouri Senate passed legislation Monday extending federally funded jobless benefits to thousands of people who were cut off from payments earlier this month, but the bill also would reduce benefits for some people who get laid off in the future.

The Senate’s 28-5 vote ratified a deal struck last week to end a filibuster by several Republican senators upset about the growth of federal spending. The bill would renew Missouri’s participation in a federal program that provides 20 weeks of additional benefits to people who already have been unemployed for a year and a half.