CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina House Republicans are pushing a bill that would cut off the $300 federal unemployment checks some believe are causing a labor shortage in the state.
It's unclear how many of the roughly 240,000 people on unemployment in North Carolina would lose that support. Rep. Jason Saine was unable to say how many would be affected during a House Finance committee meeting Wednesday, according to WRAL-TV in Raleigh. The proposal has been put into Senate Bill 116, known as the Putting North Carolina Back to Work Act, in an attempt to move the bill more quickly.
The checks are currently scheduled to end Sept. 6 but this proposed bill would cut them off early, 30 days after becoming law. So far, 24 states have opted out of the federal government's pandemic unemployment program, including South Carolina and Georgia.
Saine, who represents Lincoln County, told WRAL the checks are contributing to a "harnessed economy" and slowing the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate also has a proposal to get people off unemployment but it would literally take an act of Congress to happen. Lawmakers approved a plan that would offer back-to-work bonuses of up to $1,500 for workers who accept new jobs.
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