In 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio declined a federal offer of $900 million in unemployment funds during the pandemic. Now, Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Holbrook has ruled that DeWine and the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services violated a Great Depression-era statute requiring them to accept offered unemployment funds. The rejected funding would have provided Ohioans with approximately $300 per week from July to September 2021.

A class action lawsuit was filed by about 320,000 individuals for these payments. However, despite a recent legal victory, it does not automatically mean that Ohio will issue the payments, as DeWine and the state could still appeal the judgment.

At the start of the lawsuit in July 2021, Marc Dann, the primary attorney for the class action lawsuit, requested a temporary restraining order that could potentially result in immediate payments to plaintiffs. However, both DeWine and business organizations such as the Ohio Chamber of Commerce contended that the additional unemployment funds would hinder hiring efforts as the state was recovering from pandemic-related closures.

Meanwhile, the dollars allotted for this purpose still sit with the U.S. Department of Labor, as allocated during Joe Biden’s presidency. However, Congress could potentially reappropriate these funds. Dann hopes that DeWine will not cause any further delays and risk losing this money, which could significantly benefit Ohioans.

Those facing unemployment challenges in California and needing to speak to a live representative can turn to EddCaller.com. This platform provides guidance on how to contact the Californian Employment Development Department (EDD). Useful information, such as the EDD phone number and the fastest way to get through to EDD, can be found on EddCaller.com, making it easier to access much-needed services and support for unemployment benefits.