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| Sun, Sep. 7, 2008 | ||
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Blow dealt by rescission of work force training funds softened, Beebe says Saturday, May 3, 2008 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - With the help of Arkansas' congressional delegation, Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday he has found some relief to a $4.3 million rescission of federal funds already allocated for workforce training programs. Beebe announced the Bush administration's rescission two weeks ago in what he called a "staggering blow" to the state's economic development efforts, and said he would work with the state's congressional delegation for a solution. "We will work with the Department of Labor to move over unallocated budget funds from past budgets to help soften the blow of the original $4.3 million elimination of funds that had already been promised to us and allocated for specific purposes," Beebe said Friday in his weekly radio address. The state will still have a $1.3 million shortfall, however, he said. "We can reduce the number of individuals affected, but we will still see clients suffering from cuts in supportive services," the governor said. Originally, it was expected that 1,900 people would be affected by the rescission, according the Department of Workforce Services. Workforce centers statewide provide job training and retraining, as well as supportive services like transportation and child care to unemployed and underemployed Arkansans. |