Supreme Court approves, for now, governor's early halt to federal pandemic unemployment benefits
The Arkansas Supreme Court today lifted a lower court’s preliminary injunction to prevent the state from stopping a federal pandemic relief unemployment benefits program 10 weeks early.
It said the order was moot because the legislature changed state law to allow the early termination retroactively. But further action might still lead to some further payments.
The program was supposed to run through Sept. 6. In May, Governor Hutchinson ordered the program to end 10 weeks early, on June 26. He said the benefits were a disincentive to people going back to work. Little evidence was ever provided to substantiate the claim.
Five people who’d been receiving the benefits sued. They argued state officials lacked authority to terminate federal programs because state law says state officials “shall” cooperate with federal Labor Department programs. July 28, Judge Herb Wright ordered the state to restart the program.
Read more: https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2022/03/10/supreme-court-approves-governors-early-halt-to-federal-pandemic-unemployment-benefits