On Wednesday, members of the Alabama House State Government Committee advanced legislation that will make sure those who are collecting unemployment benefits are actively looking for work.

HB29, introduced by State Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville), increases the number of prospective employers an unemployed individual must contact for each week of unemployment claimed from three to five, while also clarifying the rules of those who fail to seek or accept suitable work.

Republicans in the committee argued that bill was necessary to encourage more able-bodied Alabamians to go back to work, while Democrats said the bill was “cruel” to those in need.

State Rep. Rep. Debbie Wood (R-Valley) spoke for Oliver during the committee hearing Wednesday.

“It’s really a workforce development bill, but it’s an unemployment bill. That’s what it is. Currently, there’s 127,000 open positions in the state of Alabama, but we have people that are drawing unemployment, with 127,000 open positions,” Wood said. “we estimate that we spent $1.5 million in unemployment compensation that we should not have spent. That’s why this bill is so important.”

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Wood also addressed some of the criticism she’s heard about the bill’s new requirements.

“Now I had some people say, ‘Well, what about a small county?’ Well, I would think in a small county, if you go look three places, you can find a job,” she argued. “I know in my county you can, because there’s help wanted signs everywhere. So this bill would ask the individual to at least go to five places. This bill would also say that an individual does not have to take a position that they feel uncomfortable with if it’s farther than their other job was, if the job pays less money if the hours are different. We’re not being unreasonable with this bill, but this bill just states that they need to be out there actively looking for a job, because we need to get people back to work, and that’s what this bill is about.”

House Republicans’ argument for the necessity of the bill didn’t stop some Democrats on the committee from saying it goes against Christian values.

“I tell myself over and over, in my mind, is to think with love, and that’s how I try to conduct myself in the world,” State Rep. Marilyn Lands (D-Huntsville) said. “And I often think about, you know, what Jesus would do. And I feel like this bill is bill is not in the spirit of Jesus. And I just have to say that I just feel like that this is a bad bill, and it’s cruel.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee