Star-Telegram:
Perry unveiled his decision at a news conference in the middle of Bering’s Hardware store in Houston. Supporters were invited to watch the announcement via a live video stream on his political Web site, RickPerry.org.
“I am here today to stand with Texas employers and the millions of Texans they employ to resist further intrusion into their businesses through an expansion of our state’s unemployment insurance program,” Perry said.
Perry has signaled for weeks that he was uncomfortable with taking parts of the stimulus money that would amount to increasing the state’s social-services net, which the state would have to continue funding once the money ran out.
Democrats denounced the decision as brazen political move that endangers thousands of unemployed Texans. An estimated 250,000 Texans have lost jobs since the recession began.