Despite a record-low unemployment rate, Republican lawmakers want to make it harder for unemployed and low-income people to access public assistance under the guise of addressing the worker shortage.
Republicans heralded their budget as a game-changer due to its focus on cutting taxes, but Democrats were quick to point out missed opportunities to use the state’s historic surplus.
No lead abatement. No expanded job training. No upgrade to an archaic unemployment system. Republican lawmakers say one-time pandemic relief funds should be used instead.
Legislators had been warned earlier that the aid from the American Rescue Plan is a supplement for struggling schools, not a substitute for state support.