By Brooke Thomson
Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) has worked tirelessly with elected officials on both the state and federal levels to moderate a potentially disastrous 60% increase in unemployment insurance rates next year and to keep the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund on sound financial footing.
Last month, Gov. Charlie Baker took a major step toward addressing that issue by filing timely legislation to ensure a two-year schedule freeze and provide the ability to bond the remaining trust-fund deficit and allow it to be rebuilt over time.
Meanwhile, AIM continues to support efforts by the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to persuade Congress to provide additional resources for the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The $900 billion economic stimulus bill recently approved in the U.S. Congress does not provide money for state UI systems, though it does revive the Paycheck Protection Program with $284 billion to cover a second round of PPP grants to
When Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill extending the expanded unemployment benefits through March, she may have vetoed it out of law shortly after. Whitmer signed Senate Bill 604, which allows the state’s expanded unemployment benefits, workers getting 26 weeks of pay instead of 20, through April 1. But when she line item vetoed SB 748, an accompanying bill, she cut.
Legislature and governor at odds over line-item vetoes in COVID-19 spending bill
Michigan governor signs COVID-19 relief bill
and last updated 2020-12-29 19:40:54-05
LANSING, Michigan (WXYZ) â The Republican-controlled Michigan State House and Senate passed a bipartisan $465 million dollar COVID-19 relief bill earlier this month. Tuesday, the governor signed the bill, or at least some of it. She line-item vetoed most of the spending.
Letâs take a look at what is in the COVID-19 relief bill signed by the governor.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer approved $106 million in spending. That includes $55 million in grants for small businesses, $3.5 million for entertainment venues and $45 million in payments to people who were laid off or furloughed because of COVID-19.
WINCHESTER â Initial unemployment claims rose in Clarke and Warren counties just before Christmas, according to data from the Virginia Employment Commission.
Both counties saw a double-digit increase in initial jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 19 after seeing double-digit decreases the week before.
For the week ending Dec. 19, Clarke County had 46 initial claims, which is 30 more than it had the previous week. Warren County had 45 initial claims, 10 more than the previous week.
Both of those counties, however, were lower than Frederick Countyâs 54 initial jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 19, despite that number dropping by nine from the previous week.