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

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Veronica Sims (D-Akron) last week 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.

“Although the immediate crisis of the pandemic has dissipated, the adverse residual impact on many Ohio families in the form of higher living expenses, increased cost of putting food on the table and other basic needs, remain very present. No doubt these resources would prove very useful in helping to address these real needs,” said Rep. Sims.

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.