JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A court in Leon County rejected a lawsuit that sought to reinstate federal unemployment benefits in Florida, which ended in June.
A judge in Tallahassee heard arguments last week regarding the suit, which was originally filed in Broward County.
The lawsuit alleges the premature end to federal CARES Act benefits, which provide an additional $300 in weekly unemployment, was done "for purely partisan and political purposes."
Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith denied the plaintiff's motion for a temporary injunction. In the ruling, Judge Smith stated:
- The defendants, including Gov. Rob DeSantis, did not violate Chapter 443 concerning reemployment assistance and;
- The motion was filed too late, as the FPUC program would end by the time Florida could opt back into it
The plaintiffs can still appeal Judge Smith's ruling.
The Department of Economic Opportunity released the following statement on the ruling:
"The court ruling issued today affirms that the State of Florida’s successful Return to Work Initiative and subsequent withdrawing participation from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program was the right decision legally and has proven to increase employment and workforce participation.
"Governor DeSantis has always been a champion for working Floridians and Florida’s business community. Because of Governor DeSantis’ leadership, the economic facts have proven that the state continues to outpace the rest of the nation in economic recovery. Florida’s unemployment rate is currently at 5.1% and continues to fall below the national average for 12 consecutive months, currently at 5.4%. Florida has experienced 15 consecutive months of job growth and has gained 964,400 jobs since April 2020."
The $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments were discontinued in June, leaving unemployed Floridians living off a maximum of $275 per week.
Small donations to a GoFundMe from hundreds of unemployed Floridians went a long way. In about three days, more than $12,000 was raised to pay legal fees to sue state officials.
As of Aug. 30, over $27,000 has been raised to help pay for legal fees.
Vanessa Brito is one of the organizers of the GoFundMe, and has been a very active member in First Coast News' Facebook Group 'Navigating Florida's Unemployment Maze'
"You are giving many families a fighting chance to keep their lights on, food on the table, and so much more," reads the GoFundme. "We didn’t choose to leave our jobs. We were forced to leave our jobs, close our businesses, and remain quarantined in our homes, like so many across the country. As a consequence, many of us are still struggling to find suitable work that will get us back to our pre-pandemic lives."
On May 24, Gov. DeSantis announced Florida would end its participation in the additional federal unemployment benefits. Federal benefits officially ended on June 26.
Federal funding for the CARES Act extends through September 2021.
However, Florida isn't alone in pulling out of the federal benefits early. It is one of 26 states no longer doling out the additional unemployment funds.
Similar lawsuits were filed in South Carlina, Michigan and Arkansas.