Oklahoma judge orders state to resume federal unemployment benefits
By Joseph Choi - 08/08/21 04:57 PM EDT
An Oklahoma judge on Friday ordered the state to resume paying the supplemental $300 federal unemployment benefit that the state had discontinued earlier this summer.
The Oklahoman reports District Judge Anthony L. Bonner Jr. issued a preliminary injunction ordering the state to notify the U.S. Labor Department to reinstate and administer federal unemployment benefits provided for as part of Congress' coronavirus relief efforts.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) had discontinued the coronavirus-related federal unemployment boost in June, arguing, like many in the GOP, the benefits were disincentivizing unemployed people from reentering the workforce – a claim Democrats and a number of economists pushed back on. At the time of his decision, Stitt had also announced a one-time $1,200 return-to-work incentive payment.
Apart from the $300 supplemental payments, Bonner's order also restores an extension on unemployment benefits beyond the 26-week cutoff; unemployment benefits to those who normally would not qualify such as gig workers and self-employed individuals; and an additional $100 a week for those who earn at least $5,000 in self-employed income in the most recent taxable year.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/566917-oklahoma-judge-orders-state-to-resume-federal-unemployment-benefits
