Senator Nancy C. Detert, District 23 — Press Release

Statement by Senator Nancy Detert on Senate Passing Unemployment Compensation Reform

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Senator Nancy Detert, R-Venice, released the following statement today on the passage of Unemployment Compensation reform:

“As Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism, I worked with and included provisions requested by my colleagues in the House, the business community, the Governor and his agencies, and advocates for the unemployed, to ensure our state’s unemployment compensation system remains a solvent safety net for those in need.  

“The proposed reforms provide relief to employers by weeding out individuals taking undue advantage of the system and provide relief to the unemployed by offering additional assistance to help them get back to work. The bill also saves administrative costs which can be reallocated to make sure those receiving benefits are meeting the requirements of the program. By modernizing and streamlining the current system we will be able to help more Floridians who are struggling to find work.

“Through an innovative concept of using a sliding scale to adjust the available weeks of unemployment compensation benefits based on the unemployment rate, the reforms include tax relief for businesses while ensuring we continue to provide for those actively seeking employment.

“Unemployed Floridians are hurting, and so is our state’s business community, which finances our state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund.  We have a responsibility to uphold our commitment to out-of-work Floridians while providing tax relief to our state’s businesses as they continue to weather the difficult economy.

“I want to thank Chair Dorothy Hukill and Rep. Doug Holder for the joint package.  This is a big step toward helping our small businesses to stay in business and to hire more employees.”