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.