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February 22, 2000 <br /> <br />Natural History was included in House Bill 32 Public Building <br />Authority by Delegate Whit Clement. The Senate included it in the <br />Budget with $0 in the line item and removed it from the tobacco <br />money. Governor [Jim] Gilmore introduced a bill today to make <br />three changes to the state's unemployment benefits system: <br />eliminating the waiting week for people who have lost jobs at a <br />bankrupt company; increasing the maximum weekly unemployment <br />benefit from $232 to $268 or 45% of the average weekly wage; and <br />clarifying in the law that people will be eligible for unemployment <br />benefits if they are enrolled in one or more education classes <br />related to employment. He also attached an emergency clause so <br />that all changes will be retroactive to November 28, 1999. The <br />Governor directed the Secretary of Health and Human Resources <br />to coordinate the following efforts: the Department of Health will <br />add capacity for providing primary health care services to parents <br />and their children in affected areas; the Department of Medical <br />Assistance Services will enhance funding for the State and Local <br />Hospitalization Program; and the Department of Social Services will <br />work with local offices to prepare and make available application <br />intake sites. Governor Gilmore also directed the Department of <br />Housing and Community Development to work with Henry County <br />and Martinsville on a regional industrial park to be funded from the <br />Industrial Site Development Fund and to award an additional <br />enterprise zone to the area." <br /> <br />All Council Members expressed their appreciation to Mayor Crabtree for all of his <br /> <br />work with state legislature. <br /> <br />Vice Mayor Teague stated, "1 read recently about the Free Medical Clinic. The <br /> <br />City should make a donation." Council Member Haskell stated, "tt's something we've <br /> <br />needed for a long time. We have a very fine hospital. They've never turned away a <br /> <br />patient, but they're not always cost-effective." Council Member Dallas stated, "We also <br /> <br />need to look at expanding our health department." Buddy Eanes, of Family Life <br /> <br />Services, stated, "The Clinic is a dream of Dr. Keith Nichols. It operates on the first and <br /> <br />third Saturdays. They saw more than 35 patients last week." Vice Mayor Teague <br /> <br />moved to donate $5,000 to Family Life Services for the Free Medical Clinic; the motion <br /> <br /> <br />