House Democrats Urge Governor, Attorney General to Accept, Release $900M in Unused Federal Unemployment Funds

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) today joined the Ohio House Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to Governor Mike DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost urging them to not appeal Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Holbrook’s ruling that the governor violated a statue in 2021 when he refused to accept $900M in federal unemployment during the pandemic. The ruling, if not appealed by the attorney general and if the funds are distributed by the governor, means 300K Ohio families will be eligible for meaningful financial support. 

“I urge Governor DeWine and Attorney General Yost to let the decision by Judge Holbrook stand. Thousands of families who were entitled to this financial support will finally have some relief and an appeal would not only continue their financial uncertainty, but would do so at as cost to all of the rest of Ohio taxpayers,” said Rep. Brown Piccolantonio.

Roughly 320K people filed a class action lawsuit for the original payments denied by the governor in 2021. In the height of the pandemic, $3K could have helped many struggling Ohioans, and still can now.