JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some states are scrapping federal $300 unemployment payments as numerous governors nationwide claim doing so would be an incentive for people to go back to work.
Montana was the first to announce it would stop distributing Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation’s $300 supplements. More than a dozen states soon followed.
Some wonder if Florida will be next.
First Coast News reached out to Governor Ron DeSantis’ Office asking if the governor would also discontinue the payments.
Press Secretary Christina Pushaw did not say if the governor would, but did point to statements the governor made at a recent press conference.
“I would much rather pay a workforce transition payment, to incentivize people to go back to work, than continue with the unemployment if we have all these job openings,” DeSantis said at the news conference May 12. “I think that would change some of the incentive structure that we’re seeing and would still make it worth people’s while.”
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said in a statement:
“The Department continues to research and monitor whether the state should continue participating in all federal unemployment programs that were implemented to provide additional relief from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department is focused on acting in the best interests of all Floridians and will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Federal unemployment programs expire in September, but according to the CARES Act, states can terminate programs with a 30-day notice.
Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are among 10 lawmakers to cosponsor the “Get Americans Back To Work Act,” which would reduce those $300 payments to $150 per week on May 31, and would stop all additional payments on June 30. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee after being proposed last week.