Rep. Robyn Vining Calls on Legislative Leaders to Take Immediate Action for Wisconsin Workers

MADISON- On March 11th, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, which allocated an additional $300 per week for unemployed Wisconsinites. In order to access these funds, the Wisconsin Legislature must suspend the one week unemployment insurance (UI) waiting period. State Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) released the following statement urging legislative leaders to take immediate action:

“In 2020, delays to suspending the one-week waiting period resulted in Wisconsin losing $25 million in federal unemployment insurance funding. A year later, the Legislature cannot make the same mistakes at the cost of unemployed Wisconsinites’ livelihoods. The most recent suspension of the state’s one week waiting period expired on March 14th. Under the American Rescue Plan, Wisconsin loses an estimated $2.6 million per week if we don’t suspend the one-week waiting period through September. We must take urgent action to pass LRB 2486/1, which would suspend the one-week UI waiting period to September 5, 2021.

“We are still seeing the effects of the pandemic on unemployment in Wisconsin. 12,000 Wisconsinites applied for first time benefits last week alone. The legislature has taken action to suspend Wisconsin’s one-week UI waiting period before, and it is irresponsible to not take this action again. I call on my Republican colleagues to act quickly, and vote to waive the one-week waiting period. It is our duty as representatives of the people of Wisconsin to do all we can to provide them with the resources they need.”

Rep. Vining represents the 14th Assembly District, which includes parts of Brookfield, Wauwatosa, and Milwaukee. For more information, visit Rep. Vining’s website here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.