Wisconsin Legislature votes to end extra unemployment
SCOTT BAUER and TODD RICHMOND, Associated Press
June 9, 2021
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FILE - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks during a news conference outside Henderson Elementary School in Madison, Wis. Thursday, April 29, 2021. Unemployed people in Wisconsin would lose a $300-a-week federal bonus under a Republican-backed bill the GOP-controlled state Legislature plans to pass on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. However, Evers, a Democrat, has signaled that he will veto the proposal. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)John Hart/AP
MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature voted Wednesday to eliminate a $300-a-week federal bonus for unemployed people, a measure that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has made clear he s likely to veto.
Wisconsin Legislature votes to end extra unemployment
Published
MADISON, Wis. - The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature voted Wednesday, June 9 to eliminate a $300-a-week federal bonus for unemployed people, a measure that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has made clear he s likely to veto.
The federal payment, approved to help the unemployed during the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to end on Sept. 6. Twenty-five other states have already approved ending it early, saying it has exacerbated worker shortage problems.
That s the argument that Republicans, state and local chambers of commerce, trade groups and others made for passing the bill in Wisconsin, saying some people getting the equivalent of $16.75 an hour on unemployment are choosing to stay home. Evers last week voiced support for the $300 payment, saying those who advocate abolishing it don’t have any evidence that it’s behind the worker shortages.
Commissioner Court Boice is recommending the state offer bonuses to all individuals who return to the workforce and remove themselves from the unemployment benefits program.
Florida restaurants are fighting to rebound after a tough year for the industry. A recent drop in jobless claims and the busy summer travel season is setting up the industry for a return to normal faster than some expected.
As a coalition of organizations representing Kentucky workers, families and communities, we urge state lawmakers to protect expanded pandemic unemployment benefits until the federally funded program ends in early September.