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More people were denied unemployment benefits during the pandemic than actually qualified. Now, Democrats in the state legislature are saying GOP colleagues have reneged on making changes to the system. Legislation that would add two more weeks, from twelve to fourteen, and another hundred dollars, from $275 to $375 have stalled as lawmakers enter the last third of the annual session. Dr. Rich Templin of the AFL-CIO says the changes are modest and need to be adopted.

“It is time to make these changes” says Templin. “And these bills will increase benefits by a moderate amount, will increase the time by a minimal amount, and will fix some of the most glaring eligibility requirements so we can start moving in the right direction.

Many were denied benefits because the system bases eligibility on how much a person made in previous quarters, not the most recent, which advocates say was designed before computers when employers had to mail in their payroll information to the Capital.