(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina General Assembly has completed its efforts to untangle the stalemate it once had with Gov. Beverly Perdue over unemployment benefits.

The Senate and House gave final legislative approval Tuesday to an unemployment insurance bill. The measure in part validates a Perdue executive order in January that retained rules so extended benefits could continue for 25,000 long-term jobless workers.

Perdue issued a similar order in June 2011 after nearly twice that number of people missed benefits for months.

Republican leaders at the Legislature don't believe a governor can issue an executive order on such a topic. The new legislation -- now at Perdue's desk -- says any such order on unemployment benefit extensions is void unless the governor is expressly issued that authority by the Legislature or Congress.