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Florida Unemployment Lawsuit Wants Federal Benefits To Return

Photo: Alexander Mils
Photo: Alexander Mils

A trio of attorneys have filed a lawsuit against Florida’s governor and the state Department of Economic Opportunity in an effort to get the state to opt back into the $300 weekly federal unemployment benefits. 

Attorneys filed the lawsuit in Broward County Sunday afternoon on behalf of 10 residents who say they’ve faced financial struggles due to the state putting an end to federal unemployment benefits. The suit is looking to reinstate benefits for all Floridians, not just the ones named in this case.

While the federal benefits could have continued until September, state officials decided to terminate them early at the end of June. They cited a shortage in people applying for jobs as their reason. 

Florida is one of 26 states that prematurely ended federal unemployment benefits. 

After a brief stint as Morning Edition Producer at The Public’s Radio in Rhode Island, Talia Blake returned to Central Florida Public Media. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with degrees in both Broadcast Journalism and Psychology. While at UCF, she was an intern for Central Florida’s public affairs show, Intersection. She joined on as Morning Edition Host in 2019. In 2022, Ms. Blake was appointed to the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalist’s board of directors.