Welfare Legislation Approved

Senate Bill 47 has been signed into law. The legislation would ease the approval process for someone nominated for a county board of approval position. State Senator Bob Robbins, who also authored the bill, says the process will now be similar to that of a notary public. The bill carries with it two amendments added by the House of Representatives. The first makes sure that welfare money can not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages and the second creates protections so that whistle blowers in the Department of Public Welfare can feel safe in reporting abuses or fraud. Robbins said that he likes to two amendments but is unhappy that they had to be created in the first place.