Raising jobless compensation right thing to do

Floridians have learned that genuinely good news from Tallahassee — during the current legislative session, no less — is a rare and precious thing. Usually the most we can hope for is entertainment in the form of over-the-top grandstanding from the likes of North Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. And even that took a dark turn this week.

So when a key state Senate committee approved legislation that would use federal aid to nudge up Florida’s embarrassingly skimpy unemployment compensation by $100 a week, our first response was to start blowing up balloons and putting together a party playlist.

After all, Florida’s traditionally low-wage workers have suffered at nearly every turn in this year-long struggle gone viral. Many of them were drafted onto the front lines in Florida’s delis, delivery trucks, discount outlets and drug stores. These “essential workers” put themselves and their families at risk, often without any form of combat pay

And they considered themselves the lucky ones. More than 3 million Floridians were out of work for at least part of the pandemic, and — in addition to the frustration and futility of navigating CONNECT, the state’s deliberately broken unemployment compensation system — faced the uncertainty of unemployment and the sneers of those who said the temporary $600 federal payment, when added to the state’s pitiful $275 weekly benefit, was too ample a reward for idleness.

As if these workers would have chosen to be jobless. As if they didn’t understand that any extra aid was temporary.

We were happy to hear that the Senate was considering carving out a sliver of the COVID federal relief that’s about to descend on Florida for their benefit, and downright proud to see Volusia County’s newest state senator, Jason Brodeur, speaking out on their behalf. It’s heartening to see Republicans finally joining the likes of Palm Beach County Sens. Bobby Powell, Tina Polsky and Lori Berman, who have been pounding this drum for more than a year now.

But then we looked at everything else lawmakers were doing, including a breathtakingly bad-faith raid on a state fund meant to support the construction of affordable housing, and simmered down. This boost in benefits is the least Florida lawmakers should do for those who are suffering the most in this ugly, plague-ridden economy — and by “least,” we mean they should be doing a lot more.

And by “should do,” we mean “probably won’t do.” Multiple media outlets have already reported that House Speaker Chris Sprowls is opposed to a benefits increase, even one that would still leave Florida’s benefit level well below the national average. Speaking to the News Service of Florida, Sprowls offered an airy murmur that the state should instead “deal with getting people back into the workforce.”

As if Florida couldn’t do both. As if there were any concrete plans moving in the Legislature’s lower chamber to do either, or to repair that rickety, raggedy mess that is the state’s unemployment-compensation system. There’s one month left in the legislative session. When, exactly, was the House going to roll out its plans beyond a break in unemployment taxes for Florida businesses?

We’d like to see Senate President Wilton Simpson hold Sprowl’s feet to the fire on this one. Call him out repeatedly. Slide this small morsel of relief for struggling Florida families onto the plate during every House-Senate negotiation, however unrelated.

And Sens. Powell, Polsky and Berman, keep up the fight. That also goes for Reps. Kelly Skidmore, Matt Willhite, Emily Slosberg, David Silvers, Omari Hardy and Joe Casello. More importantly, Sen. Gayle Harrell, and Reps. John Snyder, Rick Roth and Mike Caruso — go fight by Brodeur’s side. Prove to the residents of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast that all of their elected representatives deserve the trust local voters placed in them.

It is, after all, the least you can do.