By Jason Taylor
May 11, 2021
DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa is joining a growing number of Republican-led states to end increased unemployment benefits from the federal government.
Governor Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday the state will stop the extra $300 dollar weekly payments on June 12th.
She said the payments are discouraging people from returning to work, echoing statements from some other Republican governors in the past week.
President Biden s administration says data does not support that argument, instead claiming vaccination rates, childcare and school reopenings are all contributing to a shortage of workers.
Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said the overwhelming message from employers is the lack of workers, which is adversely affecting their ability to recover from the pandemic.
For the second time this session, some Republicans are pushing legislation to cut unemployment insurance benefits.
Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, filed a bill Monday that requires workers who lose their jobs to wait a week before receiving payments. During a subcommittee hearing Wednesday, a pair of business lobbyists said the measure would prevent increases in a tax on employers and give Iowa Workforce Development more time to weed out fraudulent claims.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee approved the bill, 10-5, on Wednesday night, moving the legislation to the chamber floor for another vote.
The proposal comes after Iowa issued $1.25 billion in unemployment insurance benefits in 2020, by far the most the state has paid in a single year. Employers laid off a record number of workers because of business shutdowns and curtailments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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For the second time in the 2021 Iowa legislative session, some Republicans are pushing legislation to cut unemployment insurance benefits.
Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, filed a bill Monday that requires workers who lose their jobs to wait a week before receiving payments. During a subcommittee hearing Wednesday, a pair of business lobbyists said the measure would prevent increases in a tax on employers and give Iowa Workforce Development more time to weed out fraudulent claims.
For the second time this session, some Republicans are pushing legislation to cut unemployment insurance benefits.
Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, filed a bill Monday that requires workers who lose their jobs to wait a week before receiving payments. During a subcommittee hearing Wednesday, a pair of business lobbyists said the measure would prevent increases in a tax on employers and give Iowa Workforce Development more time to weed out fraudulent claims.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee approved the bill, 10-5, on Wednesday night, moving the legislation to the chamber floor for another vote.
The proposal comes after Iowa issued $1.25 billion in unemployment insurance benefits in 2020, by far the most the state has paid in a single year. Employers laid off a record number of workers because of business shutdowns and curtailments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.