PHOENIX β A new lawsuit charges that Gov. Doug Ducey violated state law when he unilaterally cut off the extra $300 a week the unemployed in Arizona were getting.
The lawsuit filed Friday by Unemployed Workers United contends Arizona is required by the state to cooperate with the federal government to maximize benefits for those who are eligible.
Instead, that group, and several individuals who are also plaintiffs, say Ducey decided on his own that Arizonans should not get the extra money as of July 10. That left the unemployed in this state with benefits capped at $240 a week, the second lowest in the nation.
The lawsuit also contends Duceyβs action is unconstitutional, saying the question of benefits belongs to the Arizona Legislature.
The plaintiffs want a court order for the state to reimburse those whose benefits were cut off.
There are about 100,000 Arizonans still collecting benefits who should also have been getting the extra $300 in federal money for the past eight weeks, said Paul Gattone, one of their lawyers. That comes out to $2,400 for each.
There was no immediate comment from the governor.
But Ducey, in making the announcement in May, said his move was justified. He said employers were having trouble finding workers for what they were willing to pay, particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
He attached a carrot to the plan, however. He said anyone who was collecting benefits would get a one-time $2,000 bonus if they took a full-time job by Sept. 6. The state also offered some child-care assistance and a semester of community college tuition for those who go back to work.
βIn Arizona, weβre going to use federal money to encourage people to work ... instead of paying people not to work,ββ Ducey said in a video announcement of his decision.
