Miss. ceased receiving these funds on June 12th.
As of this weekend, Mississippi is no longer participating in the additional federal pandemic unemployment program.
Congressman Bennie Thompson is not happy with that decision.
“Mississippians saw their pandemic unemployment benefits shut off three months early because of the Tate Reeves decision,” Thompson tweeted on Monday. “It’s unfortunate for those individuals adversely affected by the pandemic. I hope he sleeps better because of his decision.”
Mississippians saw their pandemic unemployment benefits shut off three months early because of the @tatereeves decision. It’s unfortunate for those individuals adversely affected by the pandemic. I hope he sleeps better because of his decision.
— Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) June 14, 2021
Governor Tate Reeves made the announcement last month that the state would end its participation in the federal program. He said it had become clear to him that the state cannot fully recover economically until the thousands of available jobs in Mississippi are filled.
At that time, Reeves also directed the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to prioritize pre-pandemic enforcement of all eligibility requirements for any individual to receive unemployment benefits under state law.
The move drew initial criticism from Democrats and the Legislative Black Caucus, but it was celebrated by the business community who saw the additional benefits as hurting their ability to get workers back on the job.
Frank Corder
