The state will continue its fight to block $900 million in undistributed federal assistance from going to Ohioans who didn’t have a job between the summer and fall of 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday.

During COVID-19, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program sent an extra $300 each week to Ohioans on unemployment, but DeWine ended the program months early in Ohio, arguing that businesses were struggling to hire for vacant positions because of the additional assistance.

At question in the ensuing legal battle is whether the state was in the right to cut off the benefits ahead of the pandemic-era program ending nationwide—which occurred about 10 weeks after DeWine’s order to end Ohio’s participation took effect.

Since then, both the Franklin County Court of Common

See Full Page