Ohio lawmakers are trying to agree on how to shore up the fund that pays jobless benefits to unemployed workers. Several advocacy groups say the lame-duck efforts still threaten people during their most vulnerable time.
A laid-off worker would be able to get unemployment checks from 26 weeks to 20 weeks based on a new bill proposed in the House and Senate. That’s up from a previous bill that would have cut the time to 12 weeks.
The bill would also require more businesses to pay more into the fund.
But opponents including Lisa Hamler-Fugitt with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks say workers are still taking on too much of the burden.
“There is no argument that something has to be done to move our unemployment compensation trust fund to solvency, but doing it in the waning days of the lame duck is not the way to do it for long-term sustainability,” Hamler-Fugitt said.
Supporters of the bill, which has been in the works since last November, say this plan will make Ohio’s unemployment insurance solvent.
