Over 1,100 Marylanders Sign Up To Testify On Unemployment Insurance Issues At Senate Committee Hearing
ANNAPOLIS (WJZ) -- More than 1,100 Marylanders have signed up to testify on unemployment insurance issues at a virtual Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.
They will testify before the Senate Finance & Budget and Taxation Committees. The committees are planning for nine hours of testimony to make sure as many Marylanders can speak as possible, according to a release Monday.
The first 270 Marylanders to sign up will be invited to testify live before the committees while the others can submit a video testimony that will be shared with the committees, the public and the administration.
"It is clear that the problems with the system have not been resolved as the Administration claimed last week," said Senate Finance Committee Chair Delores Kelley, and Senate Budget & Taxation Committee Chair Guy Guzzone. "This is an unprecedented level of interest from Marylanders, and we hope the Governor, Secretary Robinson, and their staff are listening and take appropriate action. It is our responsibility to provide an opportunity to elevate these Maryland residents' voices, and we hope this hearing results in solutions from the Administration."
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As the number of unemployment claims surged due to the pandemic, some people filing for benefits reported making hundreds of phone calls and waiting on hold for hours to get help. For the week ending May 2, the state's labor department reported receiving more than 109,000 claims.
To alleviate the issues, the state launched a new one-stop application for benefits, but within hours of its launch, it crashed due to high demand. Officials have since said the site is fully operational but some lawmakers have expressed doubts.
The hearing will live-stream at 1 p.m. Tuesday on the General Assembly's YouTube page here.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
