State Rep Holds Rally To Call For Unemployment Improvements

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State Representative Mary Whiteford of Casco Township held a rally in front of the Michigan Capitol Tuesday to call for reforms to Michigan’s unemployment benefits system. She says she’s heard from constituents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the system isn’t working.

“I have almost 500 families in my district alone who have applied for unemployment,” Whiteford said. “Out of that, only about 80 have settled and are getting their checks.”

Whiteford says the Unemployment Insurance Agency was overwhelmed with calls as hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs or were furloughed because of the pandemic.

“So many called hundreds of times, over and over every single day, trying to get it sorted out, and nobody would answer.”

Whiteford blames the UIA’s director and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, saying the governor refused to work with the Michigan Legislature during the pandemic response. Whiteford was joined at her rally by several other state representatives, all women, calling their group Moms for Families.