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

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Crystal Lett (D-Columbus) 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. 

“This is about fairness and doing what’s right. Hundreds of thousands of Ohio families were unjustly denied the help they needed, and it’s time to correct that mistake. We urge the governor and attorney general to let these funds go where they belong—into the hands of Ohioans,” said Rep. Lett.

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.