ST. LOUIS – A hard blow for tens of thousands of Missourians, many in the St. Louis region, from St. Louis City and County, to St. Charles and Jefferson counties.
The Missouri Legislature left without passing legislation to exempt them from repaying Pandemic unemployment funds the state says they were overpaid.
The state has gone after 46,000 people statewide, telling them they must repay the money, or else face liens or garnishments.
Several members of the legislature had vowed to do what the feds had already done and let people off the hook for repaying.
But the legislation never gained traction in Jefferson City.
This comes as a big blow for people like Sheneather Rich. The state clawed but $4,000 for her but seizing money from her unemployment check.
“They took my money—almost like $4,000—left me with nothing. Took they money back. I didn’t have nothing, like a few weeks left on a claim! Left me with nothing,” she said. “… All I’m saying is, Governor Parson, the federal government forgave us. Why can’t the state of Missouri forgive us?”
The Missouri House passed a waiver a couple of years back, but things hit a road block in the Missouri Senate. The biggest block was Governor Mike Parson, who once told reporters, “There were mistakes made — there’s no doubt about that, but at the end of the day, I think there is a responsibility as taxpayers’ money.
“If somebody got more money than they should have got, you should ask for it back.”