Governor announces an extension of unemployment benefits

Gov.

Tate Reeves announced efforts Monday to extend the unemployment benefits for Mississippians who have been hard-hit by COVID-19.

BREAKING NEWS TUNING IN ACROSSTHE STATE OF MISSISSIP WEOBVIOUSLY HAD GORGEOUS WEATHERIN OUR STATE THIS WEEKEND, AND IHOPE MANY OF YOU HAD THEOPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND ENJOYSOME FRESH AIR AND DOING SO IN ARESPONSIBLE WAY WHILE SOCIALDISTANCING BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOWIS THAT WE ARE STILL IN THISFIGHT.THE LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOUWE HAD COME OFF A DAY IN WHICHWE HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME ANDNOW ONLY TIME EVER OVER 400 NEWCASES REPORTED ON FRIDAY MORNINGOVER THE EACH OF THE LAST THREEDAYS.THOSE NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWNCONSIDERABLY.RELATIVE TO THAT PEAK ONTHURSDAY, BUT AGAIN JUST BECAUSETHE NUMBERS ARE NOT AS HIGH ON APARTICULAR DAY.WE’RE NOT GOING TO CELEBRATEJUST LIKE WHEN THE NUMBERS AREHIGH ON A PARTICULAR DAY.WE’RE NOT GOING TO PANIC.WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT LONG-TERMTRENDS.WE’RE GOING TO AVERAGE BOTH ON ATHREE DAY BASIS A FIVE-DAY ASEVEN-DAY ROLLING BASIS SO THATWE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDINGBECAUSE WE REALIZE AND WE KNOWTHAT DIFFERENT THINGS AFFECTDAILY NUMBER OF NEW TESTINGRESULTS INCLUDING DATA DUMPSFROM TESTING SITES DATA DUMPSFROM OUT OF STATE TESTING SITESAS WELL AS OTHER FACTORS THATCOME INTO PLAY SO THE END RESULTIS TODAY ON MONDAY IN SPITE OFTHE NUMBER OF CASES THAT CAME INOVER THE WEEKEND.THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE ARESTILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THISFIGHT.WE STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANTCHALLENGES BEFORE US.AND WE AS MISSISSIPPIANS HAVETHE RESPONSIBILITY.STAND UP TO DO RIGHT TO TAKECARE OF YOURSELF TO STAY STRONGIN THE FACE OF UNPRECEDENTEDACTION AND RECOGNIZE THAT WEBELIEVE WE CAN BOTH PROTECT THEPUBLIC HEALTH OF ALLMISSISSIPPIANS WHILE AT THE SAMETIME RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVEREAL CHALLENGES FROM AN ECONOMICSTANDPOINT IN THIS STATE AND INTHIS COUNTRY.WHEN WE ALLOW BUSINESSES TOREOPEN IT IS NOT BECAUSE THERISK IS COMPLETELY GONE.IF ANYTHING IT MEANS THAT YOUNEED TO TAKE THINGS EVEN MORESERIOUSLY.YOU NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THATARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OFYOURSELF.OF YOUR FAMILY AND OF YOURFELLOW MISSISSIPPIANS, YOU NEEDTO TAKE EXTRA STEPS TO KEEP YOURFRIENDS SAFE AND EXTRA STEPS TOTAKE TO KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORSSAFE.NOW WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THAT WECANNOT ASK SMALL BUSINESSES ANDTHEIR WORKERS TO SACRIFICE THEIRLIFE’S WORK.I CONTINUE TO ASK ALL OF YOU TOTAKE THIS DEATHLY VIRUSSERIOUSLY.TODAY, I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVEORDER RELATED TO MISSISSIPPI’SUNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.MOST OF IT IS VERY TECHNICAL,BUT IT ALSO AFFIRMS THATMISSISSIPPI IS GOING TO HAVE TOCONTINUE TO EVALUATE ANDINTERPRET ABLE TO WORK IN THEFACE OF THIS NEW THREAT.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT YOU MUSTUNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU ARECURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED DUE TOCOVID-19.AND IF YOUR EMPLOYER CALLS YOUBACK TO WORK.I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GODO SO FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.IT IS TRUE THAT UNDER STATE LAW.THAT IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE NOTTO GO BACK TO WORK YOU COULDBECOME INELIGIBLE FOR THOSESTATE ENEFITS.BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THESE SIXHUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK INPANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCEGOES AWAY HE GOES AWAY IN JULY.SO YOU MAY SAY WELL THAT’S OKAY.I’LL FIGURE IT OUT IN JULY.THE FACT IS THIS IMMEDIATEECONOMIC DISASTER THAT ISUNFOLDING RIGHT NOW.ISRA IF BUSINESSES TRY TOREOPEN AND CANNOT FIND THEWORKFORCE.TO REOPEN IT IS VERY POSSIBLE.IF NOT LIKELY THAT THAT BUSINESSIS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.IT IS VERY POSSIBLE.IF NOT LIKELY THAT WHEN YOUDECIDE IN JUNE OR JULY OR AUGUSTTO GO BACK TO WORK.DID THAT JOB THAT YOU AREACCUSTOMED TO WILL NOT BE THERE.REMEMBER WHEN THOS ENDEMICUNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE BENEFITSGO AWAY.THE MAXIMUM STATE BENEFIT ONUNEMPLOYMENT IS 230 DOLLARS AWEEK MANY ON UNEMPLOYMENTASSISTANCE MAKE MUCH LESS THANTWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS AWEEK.THEREFORE I AM IMPLORE EVERYMISSISSIPPI.IT HAS THESE SMALL BUSINESSESREOPENED.TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEOPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO WORK.ALSO WANT TO RAISE THE FLAG TOWARN EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT I FEARCOULD BE A SECOND WAVE OF OURECONOMIC CRISIS.AS WE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE FINDOURSELVES TODAY.UNDERSTAND THAT MANY MANYBUSINESSES IN OUR STATE.CONTINUE TO WORK MANUFACTURICONSTRUCTION NEVER CLOSED INMISSISSIPPI THEY DID THEY STAYEDOPEN AND I RESPONSIBLEREASONABLE WAY.THEY DID GOOD THINGS AND THAT’SSOMETHING THAT I’M PROUD OF THEMFOR.BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT ASGLOBAL DEMAND AS WE MOVE INTOTHE SUMMER AND FALL MAY BEREDUCED.DEER OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSESIN MISSISSIPPI WHO PRODUCEPRODUCT AND SHIP IT TO OTHERSTATES AND SHIP IT TO OTHERCOUNTRIES MAY ALSO SEE THEIRDEMAND BE REDUCED.AND SO WE HAVE TO BE SURE THATAS WE MOVE INTO THE REOPENING OFTHOSE PHASES OF OUR ECONOMY THATHAVE BEEN CLOSED THAT WE DOEVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKESURE THAT THEY CAN RETURN WITHTHE WORKFORCE THAT THEY NEED SOTHAT THEY CAN PRODUCE NOT ONLYFOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES BUTALSO FOR THE WORKERS AND THEIRFAMILIES.WE ARE GOING TO DO IN THISPROCESS EVERYTHING WE CAN TOACCOMMODATE THOSE PEOPLE WHO AREMOST AT RISK.BUT WE CANNOT ALLOW.HISTORICALLY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS THAT MAY COME CRASHINGDOWN AT SOME POINT.TO PUT YOU IN A POSITION WHEREYOU CANNOT PROVIDE FOR YOURFAMILY NOT JUST FOR THE NEXTCOUPLE OF WEEKS OR MONTHS, BUTFOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS ANDYEARS THERE IS REALLY NOGOVERNMENT REPLACEMENT FOR A JOBKNOW MOST MISSISSIPPIANS AREREADY AND EAGER TO GET BACK TOWORK.PLEASE DO NOT LET THE WINDOWPASS YOU BY IF YOU ARE LUCKYENOUGH TO GET AN OFFER TO COMEBACK TO YOUR JOB OR TO EARN ALIVING.PLEASE DO NOT REJECT IT.I DO NOT WANT YOU TO WAKE UP INAUGUST WITH NO JOB TO RETURN TO.I KNOW THAT I’VE HEARD FROM SOMANY OF YOU OVER THE LASTSEVERAL WEEKS.JUST ITCHING TO GET BACK TOWORK.FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE TODO SO TODAY BECAUSE OF THEDECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.PROUD OF YOU KNOW YOU I KNOW ITWAS TOUGH.I KNOW IT WAS TOUGH FOR WEEKS ONIN.BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILLCONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE PUBLICHEALTH CRISIS BEFORE US ANDUNDERSTAND THAT WE’RE A