NATIONAL BRIEFING / TEXAS

While Gov. Rick Perry is slamming Washington bailouts and excessive spending, his own state Senate in Austin defied his wishes and voted to accept $555 million in federal unemployment benefits.

The measure would expand state unemployment benefits by including part-time workers and people who quit for compelling reasons, such as a child’s illness or family violence.

Perry, a Republican, has agreed to take almost all the nearly $17 billion slated for Texas in federal stimulus money. But he says there are too many strings attached to the $555 million in unemployment benefits.