Louisiana Lawmaker Scraps Proposal to Cut Unemployment Aid

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana lawmaker has shelved his effort to cut state unemployment aid during the coronavirus outbreak after learning the proposal would keep the state from receiving federal assistance.

Republican Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu was trying to keep unemployment aid for Louisiana residents who are out of work from exceeding the money they earned in their previous jobs. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie told a House committee Wednesday the proposal would run afoul of federal virus aid requirements. She said that would make Louisiana's 450,000 unemployed workers ineligible to receive the $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit available through July.

Beaullieu pulled his bill from consideration after hearing the testimony.

(Story written by MELINDA DESLATTE/AP)