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Governor Gretchen Whitmer is admitting that her veto of a $220 million allocation for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund will limit unemployment insurance in Michigan to 20 weeks, and not the 26 weeks she wanted.
Republicans in the state legislature were able to tie the financial allocation to the unemployment extension in the latest COVID-19 relief bill.
Whitmer’s line item veto of the $220 million thereby also wiped out the extra six weeks of benefits.
Whitmer objected to the $220 million as an unnecessary corporate tax gift. She says the tie-bar was added to what was supposed to have been a bipartisan agreement without her consent.
Incoming Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth is accusing Whitmer of lying about her intent to keep the extended 26-week window in place.
Unless an agreement is reached, Michigan residents who file for unemployment after January 1st will be limited to 20 weeks. Those who filed in 2020 are still eligible for 26 weeks.
