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Critics Claim Unemployment Compensation Plan Puts Too Much Burden On Employees

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Ohio Association of Foodbanks
Andy Chow
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Ohio Association of Foodbanks

It’s coming down to the wire for lawmakers to reach agreement on a hot-button bill – how to shore up the fund that pays jobless benefits to unemployed workers. Several advocacy groups are still not happy with the proposal to change unemployment compensation funding.

A laid off worker would be able to get unemployment checks between 26 weeks to 20 weeks based on a new bill proposed in the House and Senate. That’s up from a previous bill that 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,” said Hamler-Fugitt.

Supporters of the bill, which has been in the works since last November, say this plan will make Ohio’s unemployment insurance solvent.

Copyright 2016 The Statehouse News Bureau

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.