Advocacy Group Better Utah Responds to Premature End of Unemployment Benefits
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced today that the additional $300 weekly unemployment benefits and other federal unemployment programs related to the pandemic would end June 26, rather than the federal expiration of Sept. 6. The move to end the unemployment stipend prematurely is a trend among states with Republican governors. Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming have also pledged to end the benefits early.
Chase Thomas, executive director of the left-leaning Alliance for a Better Utah, offered the following statement:
“Every Utahn, regardless of where they live or their education level, deserves to be able to pay their bills, keep a roof over their head, and feed themselves and their families. We cannot afford, financially or morally, to return to a ‘normal’ where hardworking Utahns cannot afford to take care of themselves or their families.
“We should not so easily forget the lessons we learned from this crisis. The federal unemployment enhancement program was instituted not only because millions of Americans found themselves out of work, but also because underlying unemployment benefits are insufficient to provide for the everyday needs of individuals and families…
