JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Jay Nixon has signed a measure to use federal stimulus money to extend Missourians' jobless benefits, but it's unclear if part of the plan will be allowed.
Some of the stimulus money will give Missourians up to 20 additional weeks of jobless benefits when there is high unemployment. Currently, jobless benefits run out after 59 weeks.
The fate of an effort to expand who qualifies for unemployment is less clear. The state is trying to use federal money to temporarily extend benefits to those who leave jobs for family reasons.
The U.S. Department of Labor is reviewing Missouri's law to determine if the state qualifies. A federal labor official told The Associated Press in May that the state likely would not.