Majority of Iowans oppose Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to cut unemployment benefits
Tyler JettDes Moines Register
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The majority of Iowans oppose cuts to unemployment insurance, although the idea has become more popular among Republicans.
Fifty-three percent of respondents to the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll oppose proposed cuts to benefits for laid-off workers, while 38% favor the plan. Another 9% of respondents are undecided.
A bill backed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in the Legislature this year would decrease how long Iowans can receive weekly payments, from 26 weeks to 16 weeks. The bill also would require claimants to wait a week before receiving funds and require them to accept lower-paying job offers than the current law demands.
The proposal marks Republican leaders’ second attempt in as many years to cut unemployment payments. Last year’s version, which failed, did not propose reducing how long claimants could receive benefits, but the bill would have decreased the amount of money Iowans could receive every week — a proposal not in this year’s edition.
Last year, an Iowa Poll found that 75% of respondents opposed cutting benefits in a similar question, 22 percentage points higher than this year. Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents opposed the proposed cuts. But the most recent poll showed greater divisions along party lines.
This year, 60% of Republicans now support the cuts, an increase of 38 percentage points since last year, while 28% oppose them. Meanwhile, among Democrats, opposition is still strong: Only 14% of Democrats support the cuts this year, and 82% oppose them. Among self-described independents, 39% support the cuts, an increase of 21 percentage points from last year, and 52% oppose them.
Majority of Iowans oppose Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to cut unemployment benefits
A plan to cut benefits for laid-off workers has become a partisan issue over the last year; most Republicans now support Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal.
www.press-citizen.com
Majority of Iowans oppose Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to cut unemployment benefits
A plan to cut benefits for laid-off workers has become a partisan issue over the last year; most Republicans now support Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal.
www.press-citizen.com