A deal has apparently been reached in the state Legislature to temporarily boost the average unemployment benefits for workers by $45 a week.

House Democrats announced this morning that they expect to pass a bill Friday to do that, as well as increase the minimum weekly benefit from $129 to $155.

Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said he expects the measure will pass the Senate as well. Murray is chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Gov. Chris Gregoire supports the measure.

Gregoire recently proposed taking $400 million from the state's $4 billion unemployment trust fund, which is running a surplus. Half would go to boost benefits and the other half would aid businesses by reducing the amount of money they pay into the fund.

Speaker Frank Chopp and Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, have a news conference planned Friday morning to discuss the bill, called the "Economic Security Act of 2009." Chopp could not be reached for comment this morning.

However, he said last week that the plan in the House is to move toward beefing up worker benefits quickly and then take up a tax cut for business later. He wants to look at a long-term reduction in the amount of money business puts into the unemployment fund so that it doesn't rack up large surpluses.

The rates were set too high, he said last week. "We'd adjust those rates to have a more appropriate amount in the fund."