State Rep. Brady says Illinois should opt-out of extra unemployment benefits

Posted on May 26, 2021
State Rep. Dan Brady. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois should join states around the nation opting out of extra federal unemployment benefits, at least that’s the word from one local lawmaker.

State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) said the extra $300 unemployment benefits leave many mom and pop businesses scrambling to find help.

“If there’s one thing that I hear day after day after day, right now that is from business owners who simply say ‘I just can’t find help. I just can’t keep help.’ They will come in, and people will say they will take the job and they won’t show up for work. I hear from a business who say, ‘you know, now I’m to the point where I will close on a Sunday and a Monday because I can’t keep open, I can’t keep the help.’

It (was) well-intended, but it reversed to the point to where we’ve made it too good for an unemployment side of things from state and federal benefits.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Pritzker said there are no plans to cut unemployment benefits for out-of-work Illinoisans. The Governor added that there are many reasons why Illinoisans are not going back to work, such as fear of contracting COVID-19 and needing child care.

However, Rep. Brady told WJBC’s Scott Miller it’s time to get people back to work.

“It’s time to relax that. It’s time to get people back to work and taking these jobs that are out there that are good-paying jobs. And so I think that we should follow suit of some of those other states. That’s where I’m coming from after listening to so many business owners that say, ‘they simply are starving for help.'”

LISTEN: State Rep. Dan Brady spoke with WJBC’s Scott Miller. 

At least 11 states elected to opt-out of the unemployment benefits a few months before their Sept. 6 expiration.

Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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