Rep. Brennan Urges Governor DeWine to Drop Lawsuit Blocking Federal Unemployment Aid for Ohio Workers

COLUMBUS– State Representative Sean Brennan (D-Parma) today called on Governor Mike DeWine to immediately withdraw the state’s appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court in the ongoing lawsuit over the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program.

In a letter sent to the Governor, Rep. Brennan urged the administration to “end this unnecessary and harmful legal fight” and comply with lower court rulings ordering Ohio to rejoin the federally funded program.

“Ohio’s own law requires the state to pursue every federal advantage available to help working people,” said Rep. Brennan. “At a time when families are already struggling due to the federal shutdown and rising costs, it’s wrong to keep fighting in court to deny Ohioans relief that’s already been approved by Congress and remains available.”

The dispute stems from the DeWine Administration’s June 2021 decision to withdraw Ohio from the federal program, which provided an additional $300 per week in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 300,000 Ohio workers lost access to those payments after the withdrawal.

Two Ohio courts—including Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook and an appeals court—have ruled that the state was obligated under Depression-era law to seek and accept federal unemployment funds. Despite those rulings, the administration has appealed the case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

“Thousands of working Ohioans lost jobs through no fault of their own,” Rep. Brennan added. “They deserve compassion, not continued litigation. Dropping this lawsuit would show that Ohio stands with its workers in tough times.”

Rep. Brennan also noted that recent court filings include an affidavit from a U.S. Department of Labor official confirming that the federal funds remain available and have not expired or been rescinded by Congress.

“Let’s do the right thing and get this money to the people who earned it,” Rep. Brennan concluded. “This isn’t about politics—it’s about fairness, law, and basic decency.”