Governor Mike DeWine is appealing a Franklin County judge’s order to reinstate $900 million in federal pandemic unemployment benefits for Ohioans.
Why it matters: The appeal bewilders attorneys for the 300,000 plaintiffs who each missed out on $3,000 when DeWine cut off the benefits in June 2021 — 10 weeks before they were set to expire.
The latest: DannLaw and Zimmerman Law attorneys have filed a motion requesting that the court order DeWine and the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) to retrieve the federal funds.
- They propose that the Franklin County Common Pleas Court safeguard the funds while the appeal is ongoing.
What they’re saying: “There is no legitimate reason at this point for the governor not to seek a cost-free infusion of almost $1 billion into Ohio’s economy,” Marc Dann, his lawyer, tells Axios.
Between the lines: In a statement, the attorneys stated that time was of the essence, given the possibility of the funds being repurposed for other federal initiatives.
- “Congress is already talking about using unspent COVID relief dollars as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling, and the DOGE crew is turning over rocks to find and repurpose unspent money,” Dann said in the statement.
The other side: The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Restaurant Association, and other business groups complained that the aid was making it difficult to hire workers, prompting DeWine to discontinue it in 2021.
- “That extra $300 a week… is, in some cases, certainly discouraging people from going back” to work, DeWine said at the time.
- DeWine’s office confirmed the appeal to Axios but provided no additional comment.
