State Democratic Lawmakers Release Proposals to Help Alleviate Backlog of Unemployment Claims
Saturday, July 18th, 2020 -- 7:10 AM
(AP) -Democratic lawmakers released proposals Thursday designed to help alleviate a backlog in processing of unemployment claims as Gov. Tony Evers’ administration temporarily reassigned 100 state workers to help get benefits to those forced out of work due to the coronavirus.The pair of moves came before the state was to announce unemployment totals for June. Unemployment was 12% in May after hitting a high of 13.6% in April as businesses shut down in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The Department of Workforce Development has struggled to process the claims of everyone seeking unemployment. Currently, about 141,000 people were awaiting payments, a backlog that Republicans who control the Legislature have loudly criticized.
Democratic lawmakers on Thursday introduced a package of bills they said would remove hurdles to getting the benefits. Republicans have proposed tapping federal funding to pay benefits while people await verification that they qualify. Evers dismissed that idea on Monday as a “political stunt.”
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