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Associated Press - October 28, 2009 7:45 PM ET
Corrected Version
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina legislators have wrapped up work on a bill that will extend jobless benefits to workers who had begun running out of weekly state and federal help.
The bill sent to Gov. Mark Sanford's desk Wednesday ensures at least seven weeks of federal extended jobless benefits for South Carolina workers who already had begun losing weekly checks.
The Legislature needed to change the rules to collect the extra benefits so that they are triggered by the state's unemployment rate rather than the number of people drawing unemployment benefits.
State Rep. Kenny Bingham of Cayce said workers who have missed checks will get them retroactively.
Sanford spokesman Ben Fox said the governor would send out a statement on his plans for the legislation later.
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